European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions : The Foundation is a European agency, one of the first to be established to work in specialized areas of European Union (EU) policy. It was set up by the European Council (Council Regulation 1365/75 of 26 May 1975) to contribute specifically to the planning and design of better living and working conditions in Europe. The Foundation carries out research and development projects to provide data and analysis for informing and supporting the formulation of EU policy on working and living conditions. It has a network of experts throughout Europe who conduct research on its behalf, including assessing the current national situations, the preparation of case studies and national reports, and the conducting of surveys. As part of its research base, the Foundation maintains a number of key monitoring tools, such as the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO), European surveys on working conditions and monitoring quality of life in the EU. In November 2002, it launched the European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC) web portal, which will act as an information source focusing on aspects of economic and social change. The Foundation is managed by an Administrative Board, comprising representatives of governments, employers and workers of each EU Member State and three representatives from the European Commission. This representation of the Governments and the social partners reflects the tripartite nature of the organization's work. A Committee of Experts, composed of specialists drawn from a variety of disciplines and appointed by the Council of Ministers, is responsible for advising the director and the Administrative Board on all fields within the Foundation's competence. The staff of the Foundation are drawn from all 15 Member States and have a wide range of professional experience and background. National Liaison Centres (NLCs) have been set up throughout Europe as communication relays for the Foundation. Their role is to act as knowledge navigators at the national level. Every four years the Foundation reviews its strategy and orientation. The previous four-year programme, Analysing and Anticipating Change to support Socio-Economic Progress, 2001-04, has been followed by Changing Europe: Better Work, Better Life, 2005-08, which aims to look ahead to the opportunities and challenges facing the new Europe of 25 Member States. The four key themes (employment, work-life balance, industrial relations and partnerships, and social cohesion) are completed by three main tasks (monitoring and understanding change, research and exploring what works, and communication and sharing ideas and experience). A driving force of the programme comes from the Lisbon Strategy (March 2000). The Foundation's financing forms part of the general budget of the European Commission and the funds allocated to it are decided in the official budgetary process between the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament
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