Policy impact of EU research Virginia Vitorino EC - DG RTD - Research in Social Sciences and Humanities

Policy impact of EU research

Virginia VitorinoEC - DG RTD - Research in Social

Sciences and Humanities

I. Introduction

EU research to fulfil two major objectives:

• to produce further understanding of the various societal issues at stake,

• and to provide useful insights for policy formulation at various levels of implementation

(European, national and regional).

I. Introduction

Characteristics of EU funded research:

• Multidisciplinary, • Collaborative, • Transnational, comparative• Policy relevant

I. Introduction

Research on Education & Training and on Employment funded at EU level since 1994:

FP4 (1994-1998) – Targeted socio-economic research (TSER)

FP5 (1998-2002) – Improving the socio-economic knowledge base

FP6 (2002-2006) – Citizens and Governance in KBSFP7 (2007-2013) – Research on socio-economic

sciences and humanities

II. Contribution of EU research to policies

• EU funded research provides useful insights for the formulation of policies at all levels of implementation.

• But difficult to quantify exactly how, where

and when the knowledge produced influences any type of policy formulation.

• At the EU level, however, it is possible to identify contributions in the design of some major policy initiatives.


At the EU level, contributions to:

• “The Social Exclusion Plan”• Communication on “Universities and Research”, • Commission Position Paper on “Formal and

Informal Work” • Communication on "Efficiency and equity in

European education and training systems"


Main messages from This Communication:

• social and educational inequalities and social justice have to be tackled on the same ground as efficiency of E&T systems.

• E&T policies must, and can combine the twin objectives of efficiency and equity in seeking to maximise their economic and social potential.

• There is no necessary trade off between them; E&T policies can join with other social policies to work towards inclusion for all.

• Need for the effective articulation of different policy areas.


Various forms of dialogue platforms and products put in place aiming at valorising results, e.g.:

1.Dialogue Workshops (DW) - a privileged means of stimulating dialogue between researchers and EU policy makers

More than 20 DW have been organised


Dialogue Workshops on education, exclusion and employment:

– Infowork - Social Cohesion, the Organisation of Work and Information and Communication Technologies, March 2004.

– Loc Nis - Labour, Organisation and Competence in National Innovation Systems, February 2004.

– Informal/Undeclared Work, May 2003 – Social Exclusion, Activation and Welfare,

October 2002


Various forms of dialogue and products…

2. Briefing papers on E&T– publication "European Union-supported educational

research" – website 'New Perspectives for Learning: http://

www.pjb.co.uk/npl/index.htm .

3. Project clusters’ activity “Employment and unemployment :

– book on “Marginalisation”…edited by Duncan Gallie.


Various forms of dialogue and products…

4. Policy review exercise:• Identification of EU policy needs• Synthesis of research results which could

respond to these needs


Some of the policy reviews:

• Employment and unemployment • Education and Training• Quality of work• Education, Inequalities and Social Exclusion• Social exclusion and Social security • Family and Welfare• Innovation and Research Policy • Regional policy • Sustainable development • Governance • Migration • Gender Equality

III. Main thematic areas addressed by E&T

research• FP4 (1994-1998): E&T related to economic, funding

and investment and skills.

• FP5 (1998-2002): link between E&T and other policy areas; learning processes on governance, regulation and reform questions; lifelong learning and vocational training research.

• FP6 (2002-2006): E&T and learning processes in broader societal and political contexts; education challenges for the KS; role of lifelong learning; educational strategies for inclusion and social cohesion and their relation to other policies.

III. Main thematic areas addressed by Employment

• FP4: relation between employment,

unemployment and social inclusion and exclusion;

• FP5: employment, unemployment, new forms and changes in work and flexibility issues.

• FP6: changes in work and flexibility”; relation between employment and growth and between labour market, employment and welfare regimes.

IV. Research findings relevant for policies at national level

Some findings in E&T On transitions of youth from education to work: - preconceived idea that more qualifications

equals to more and better jobs is simplistic;- relationship between education and economic

dimensions is much more complex.


Main findings in E&TOn early education:– early education plays an important role on

young people at later stages in their life.– given the diversity of E&T systems and labour

market mechanisms across Europe, the same policy interventions are unlikely to be equally effective in different contexts.


Main findings in E&T

on the governance models for E&T:– introduction of market mechanisms in E&T

seems to increase social and educational inequality and the exclusion of less advantaged groups.



on national, European and global E&T policies:– policies for learning are not merely policies for

E&T, but form an integral part of wider social and economic policy.

– outcomes of learning are intimately connected to the core economic and socio-cultural concerns and have social as well as economic consequences and opportunities attached to them.



On the relation between education and social exclusion

– E&T cannot address alone social exclusion.– Articulation of various policy measures is the

only solution to tackle the problem of social inclusion.


Main findings in E&TTo sum up:

Among numerous other conclusions, this research shows that there is currently a need for a better balance between the economic and socio-cultural objectives of learning.


Main findings in the area of employment and unemployment On risks of marginalisation of the unemployed:– The research points to the need of improving

opportunities for skill development for the low skilled as a standard part of their employment conditions.

– This requires the quality of work to be seen as an integral part of a preventive welfare policy.


Main findings in the area of employment and unemployment on current macroeconomic policy regime in Europe: – Findings suggest that European policies have

been too preoccupied with the dangers of excessive inflation and neglected the benefits of a modest expansionary bias and a more accommodating macroeconomic stance.


Main findings in the area of employment and unemployment on full employment:– tensions at a policy level between supporting

the role of women as mothers and increasing their employment rates

– This suggests that the promotion of increased quality (and not just quantity) of employment should be the priority on this particular segment of the labour market.


Main findings in the area of employment and unemployment on gender and employment:– promotion of flexible employment, part-time

employment and parental leave entitlements, together with the use of marketisation to promote service sector growth, could worsen the significant and persistent gender gaps in European labour markets.

Conclusion

• These findings show the richness of EU research

• They are relevant for policies at national level

• Further efforts needed to make them available for debate at the various levels of policy level, in particular at national level

• Hope this Conference is the first of many other initiatives of this type

Documents

Policy impact of EU research Virginia Vitorino EC - DG RTD - Research in Social Sciences and Humanities