Socio-economic Research - Publications - Conference and Workshop Proceedings

Socio-economic Research

Publications

Conference and Workshop Proceedings and syntheses

Proceedings from various Conferences and Workshops organised within the framework of the TSER Programme and of the Key Action.

• Social Exclusion, Activation and Welfare, 11 October 2002

• Governance and Citizenship in Europe - Some research directions, 8-9 September 1999 - EUR 19313

  Getting Europe "closer to the citizens’ and improving the current institutional setting as well as the decision-making system are at the core of public debate in the European Union. The workshop "Research Directions in relation to Governance and Citizenship in a changing Europe" was intended to identify research venues and priorities that can usefully contribute to such debate by assessing options, developing methods and conceptual frameworks, learning from current practices, pointing to future challenges.

• Dialogue Workshop on "The Regional Level of Implementation of Policies", 23-24 November 2000 - EUR 19846

  The "Dialogue Workshop on the theme "the regional level of implementation of policies aimed at presenting the results of a cluster of projects funded by the TSER Programme. These projects have addressed the effectiveness of the various levels of implementation of policies, namely the innovation policy. The conclusions from the debate called for the combination of different policies to be implemented at different levels. It was recognised that the co-ordination of regional and innovation policies can reinforce the economic and institutional conditions which will allow the diffusion of technologies and rapid technological change.

• Dialogue Workshop on "Unemployment, Work and Welfare, 9 - 10 November 2000

  The workshop was the first meeting of the Unemployment, Work and Welfare cluster of research projects. It was designed to bring together a number of projects, funded under the Framework programmes, with the aim of stimulating dialogue about the mutual implications of project results and to develop synergies between projects. It focussed on projects that shared a concern for the impact of welfare state provision (in a broad sense) on the relationships between unemployment and opportunities for work.

• Dialogue workshop on "Global Trade and Globalising societies: Challenges to Governance and sustainability, The role of the EU.", 14 - 15 December 2000
  2001, Office for Official Publications of the EC, Luxembourg, EUR 19458
  This publication is available in paper format from anne.de-greef@ec.europa.eu.

  The workshop addressed the link and trade-offs between economic, social and environmental factors related to trade –a policy of exclusive Community competence. The Seattle round of trade negotiations and other events showed that the neglect of social and sustainability issues (health, environment, labour conditions, etc.) brings social protest to the door of global negotiations. The workshop examined the following questions: What factors explain the increased social concerns over trade liberalisation ? What options can be identified to combine further economic growth with sustainability and social acceptability? Are there consistencies and conflicts between the European model of regional development and global governance?

• Dialogue workshop on "Employment Funding", 17-18 January 2001

  The aim of this workshop was to discuss policies and institutions in the EU countries in relation to the articulation between wage, taxation and insurance, and savings as sources of financing employees’ resources and social protection.

• Dialogue workshop on "Legitimacy, Democracy and the EU Committee System", 6 March 2001

  The proliferation of different types of committees performing different functions in the political process characterises contemporary governance at the national, sub-national and supranational (European) levels of government. The worshop's aim was to contribute to a better understanding of the decision-making processes in the European Community and the unique multi-level construction of the evolving European system of governance. It analysed the linkages between the Member State level and the Community level through the various types of committees ('comitology committees' of the Commission, Council's Working Groups, Committees of the European parliament) and show how expertise is integrated into this process.

  A book will be published at later stage.

• "The contribution of socio-economic research to the benchmarking of RTD policies in Europe", 15 - 16 March 2001

  On June 15 2000, Europe's Council of Ministers for Research instructed the Commission and the Member States to benchmark national RTD policies in Europe in the areas of:

  • human resources including the attractiveness of scientific careers;
  • public and private investment in RTD;
  • scientific and technological productivity;
  • impact of research on economic competitiveness and employment.

  On 15 and 16 of March a conference was organised in Brussels aiming at drawing on Europe's socio-economic research to support the benchmarking process. More than 200 researchers and policy makers from across Europe took part in this conference, showing the willingness and the ability of the research community to contribute to policy processes.

• "Dialogue workshop on "European Citizenship: beyond borders, across identities", 23 - 24 April 2001

  The workshop first examined which factors (e.g. age, class, culture, gender, language, nationality, values) shape identity formation and focused on how multiple identities interact and/or collide. It went on by addressing how meanings of citizenship and the actual exercise of citizens rights are conditioned by the emergence of institutions, procedures and fora to debate issues of common interest at the European level. It also examined how, when and for whom citizenship makes a difference, e.g. in terms of electoral participation, exercise of social and economic rights. Lessons and implications of the above for accountability and legitimacy of public policy and decision making were addressed.

• "Conference proceedings on Financial systems, corporate investment in innovation and venture capital", 7 and 8 November 2002

Forthcoming syntheses and proceedings

• Dialogue workshop on "Racism and Xenophobia: Key Issues, Mechanisms, and Policy Opportunities", 5 - 6 April 2001

  The first phase of the workshop involved short presentations of major theoretical approaches towards understanding and explaining racism and xenophobia. This set the stage for a series of presentations linking theoretical models and insights to concrete policy areas and issues. The three key themes of the workshop concerned ambiguity and conflict in immigrant-host relationships, management of the integration process in Europe, and the development of tolerant, pluralist, and democratic societies in Europe.

• Dialogue worshop on "Family and Welfare" 15 - 16 June 2001
  2001, Office for Official Publications of the EC, Luxembourg.
  This publication is available in paper format from anne.de-greef@ec.europa.eu.

  This was the first workshop of a cluster of projects that address the relationship between changing family structures and policy formulation and implementation. This workshop was intended to concentrate on methodologies and instruments and to look for complementarity and synergy. A second workshop focusing on policy issues will be held in September 2002.

• Dialogue worshop on "Towards a common European legal culture", 22 June 2001

  Although law has been a tool of all modern societies to transform political and social objectives into decisions enjoying legitimacy and satisfying the public interest the interactions between law and society has not always been widely acknowledged. The questions raised in the context of this workshop through the interaction between law, society and economy are whether there is a common European legal identity and whether this cultural background is incorporated into the general rubric of social evolution thus moving law beyond the strictly conceived boundaries of legal science.

• A European Dilemma: Punishment or Welfare Society, 26 October 2001

  (Contact: Fadila.Boughanemi@ec.europa.eu)

• Developments in European Services, 22-23 November 2001

  (Contact: Giulia.Amaducci@ec.europa.eu)

Further information

For further information on the Dialogue Workshops is available at the web address: /improving/socio-economic/mechanism.htm