EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Employment and Social Affairs Jerome Vignon Director Social Protection & Social Inclusion The importance of socio-economic research to policy making Bruxelles 12 November 2004

Contents The context to and nature of policy making Challenges to Social Policy according to HLG on Future of Social policy in the enlarged Europe OMC: New EU governance increases the need for support from socio-economic research Need for figures & quantification of the arguments Complex nature of policymaking sets need for interdisciplinary approaches and cross-fertilisation ERA – Developing a European Area for research a priority for policy makers seeking scientific support 555

Context of EU social policy making Mid-term review of Lisbon Strategy Developing the Social Agenda 2005-2010 Within the context of streamlining Using all instruments but OMC in particular Finding ways to enhance MS ability to deliver Securing potential synergies between economic, employment, social and health policies Gain support from COM, MS & Population

Challenges to Social Policy according to HLG on Future of Social policy Managing change related to: Enlargement Demographic Ageing Globalisation Governance issues

Framework: the Lisbon Strategy Long term objectives of Lisbon remain valid OMC fits well with an enlarged Europe Necessary to update Lisbon strategy New economic situation Compensate drop in WAP Combine with Stability & Growth Pact

Five Major Policy Orientations Focusing the Employment Strategy Reforming social protection systems Fostering social inclusion Allowing couples to have the number of children they desire Developing an EU immigration policy

Five Messages Improve contribution of social policy to growth, competitiveness & social cohesion Extend the working life at both ends Invest in children and young people Create a new demographic dynamism Promote good governance in social affairs

HLG Conclusion HLG call for: A New Inter-generational Pact Echoed at 3-4 Nov EU Summit

OMC increases the need for support from socio-economic research Open - yet committing - Coordination Common Broad Objectives - NAPs & verifiable targets fitted to problems & capacities of each MS Common Indicators & Bench-marking Systematic Monitoring & Peer-review Output & performance oriented Open to all stakeholders incl. regional and local government and social partners and NGOs Involves evidence based policies and accountability Better Governance ultimate aim: Using Europe to improve not just policy performance but policy process

Need for quantification Decision makers need to base initiatives on hard facts and to document results Ex ante: document appropriateness of proposals Impact assessment (economic, administrative, environmental, for equal opportunities etc.) Ex post: document outcomes Evaluation (Monitoring, explaining outcomes: identify reasons for success/failure) Ex ante II: Evidence-based policy correction

Need for interdisciplinary approaches and cross-fertilisation Policy making is a inter-disciplinary activity Social sciences to engage with the challenge of creating good synergies between political democracy, state activity and market dynamics Comprehensive, holistic policies need input from several disciplines Success depends not just on aggregation of disciplines, but very much on cross-fertilisation between the social, human and natural sciences

ERA – a priority for policy makers seeking scientific support National orientation makes it difficult to access social science excellence at EU level thus constraining quality of policy making Potential quality & relevance of social science hampered by lack of work at EU-25 level Rich diversity of Europe provides a powerful laboratory for social science test & development ERA much needed to bring scientific support to EU policy and European potentials to science

Staying Informed http://europa.eu.int Access to the Commission services pages: EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/index_en.htm ECFIN (Economic and Financial Affairs) http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/ index_en.htm Access to EU legislation Access to rulings of the Court of Justice Access to European Parliament, Council etc.