Year at a glance, PROGRESS in 2013.
Date: 2014-07-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU programme, European social policy, welfare

ISSN 2314-9604

Year at a glancePROGRESS
in 2013

The European Union programme for employ-
ment  and  social  solidarity  —  PROGRESS 
(2007–13) is a key financial instrument sup-
porting  a  modern,  effective  and  innovative 
EU  employment,  social  and  equality  policy. 
The  programme  helps  the  Commission  to 
fulfil  its  tasks  in  terms  of  EU  law-making 
and EU-wide policy coordination. PROGRESS 
focuses  on  the  EU  dimension  of  employ-
ment, social and equality policies. It requires 
concerted action and supports the mutually 
reinforcing  actions  of  Member  States.  This 
consolidates  EU  cooperation  and  encour-
ages mutual learning and social innovation. 

In  2013  PROGRESS  was  implemented  against 
a  background  of  pressure  to  tackle  the  eco-
nomic crisis and get the EU back to sustainable 
growth. The programme supported the employ-
ment  and  social  objectives  of  Europe  2020, 
especially  its  flagship  initiatives  “Agenda  for 
New  Skills  and  Jobs”,  “Youth  on  the  Move” 
and  the  “European  Platform  against  Poverty 
and  Social  Exclusion”.  Its  activities  targeted 
the challenges faced by the EU, such as youth 
unemployment, the social impact of the crisis 
and  demographic  changes.  PROGRESS  helped 
the Commission make proposals on policy pri-
orities such as improved performance of pub-
lic employment services, social investment for 
inclusive growth and pensions. 

PROGRESS PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR 
EFFECTIVE INFORMATION SHARING AND 
LEARNING AMONG THE MEMBER STATES 
ON EU LAW AND POLICY

✓ PROGRESS facilitated enhanced cooperation 
among Member State national authorities 
through mutual learning and exchange 
of good practices.

According  to  stakeholders,  PROGRESS-funded 
conferences  and  seminars  were  the  most  use-
ful  activities  for  mutual  learning.  They  served 
to  transfer  knowledge  so  that  policymak-
ing  and  policy  implementation  could  be  more 
effective  and  in  line  with  EU  objectives  and 
policies.  Over  86 %  of  the  national  actors  who 
responded to the Annual Survey confirmed their 
intent  to  use  the  knowledge  acquired  at  these 
events for policymaking or advocacy, and 95 % 
intended  to  share  it  with  their  colleagues  and 
other stakeholders. 

✓ PROGRESS helped stakeholders to gain a 

better understanding of EU policy objectives 
through seminars, peer reviews and other 
information-sharing and learning events.

The vast majority of respondents to the An nu al 
Survey 
indicated  gaining  a  better 
understanding  of  EU  policy  objectives  through 

(92 %) 

Social Europe

YEAR AT A GLANCE PROGRESS 2013

PROGRESS-funded  events.  They  provided  them 
with  an  opportunity  to  better  align  their  policy 
activities  with  EU  objectives.  The  most  familiar 
issues  to  the  respondents  included  the  gender 
pay  gap  (97 %  of  respondents),  key  challenges 
and  problems  facing  EU  labour  market  (95 %), 
the European platform against poverty and social 
exclusion (94 %), setting minimum requirements 
to  improve  working  and  employment  conditions 
and strengthen workers’ rights (89 %), and legal 
protection against direct and indirect discrimina-
tion (85 %).

✓ PROGRESS helped Member States 

test innovative solutions to social and 
economic challenges through social  policy 
experimentation.

The projects contributed to developing and testing 
socially innovative approaches to EU policy prior-
ities in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, 
e.g.  active  ageing  and  raising  the  effectiveness 
and  efficiency  of  spending  on  social  services. 
The  idea  behind  such  projects  is  to  modernise 
systems  in  response  to  economic  and  social 
changes.  The  importance  of  supporting  social 
policy  experimentation  and  innovation  through 
PROGRESS increases with the growing number of 
funded projects.

Share of respondents stating that activities funded 
by PROGRESS were responsive to their needs 
and useful for policymaking or policy advocacy (%)

Organisation of conferences/seminars
in support of the development
and implementation
of Union law and policy objectives

Peer reviews

Organisation of Presidency
conferences/seminars

Organisation of media campaigns
and events

0

20

40

60

80

100

Very helpful

Rather helpful

Rather unhelpful

Very unhelpful

Source: PROGRESS Annual survey 2013.

IN 2013 PROGRESS MAINTAINED AND 
DEVELOPED A ROBUST EVIDENCE BASE 
NECESSARY FOR THE EU EMPLOYMENT, 
SOCIAL AND EQUALITY POLICIES 
AND LEGISLATION

✓ PROGRESS assisted the Commission 

in ensuring correct and effective application 
of EU law through regular monitoring.

Three  PROGRESS-supported  networks  of  legal 
experts  provided  independent  analysis  of  the 
transposition of EU Directives into national law, 
as  well  as  advice  on  relevant  developments  in 
the Member States. These activities fed into the 
Commission’s  work  such  as  the  evaluation  of 
the  European  Strategy  2007-2012  on  Health 
and  Safety  at  Work,  for  example.  Respondents 
to  the  Annual  survey  reported  monitoring  out-
puts as being useful, for example, the European 
Anti-Discrimination Law Reviews were helpful for 
67 % of the respondents.

✓ PROGRESS helped the main national 
stakeholders apply EU law correctly 
and effectively through regular 
guidance and training.

PROGRESS  funded  the  development  of  good 
practice  guides,  handbooks  and  other  material 
for  mutual  sharing  and  learning.  PROGRESS-
supported evidence contributed to the improve-
ment of EU legislation: for example, a guidance 
to  help  employers  and  workers  to  manage  the 
transition to the new classification, labelling and 
packaging system fed directly into the proposal 
for  a  directive.  PROGRESS  also  funded  training 
for judges and legal practitioners on EU gender 
equality and anti-discrimination law.

✓ PROGRESS assisted the Commission and 

Member States in finding policy responses 
to current challenges through an EU-wide 
situation analysis.

The majority of the studies produced in the field 
of employment aimed to contribute to the prep-
aration  of  exit  strategies  in  line  with  the  crisis. 
On average, some 80 % of respondents consid-
ered  that  the  EU  policies  in  PROGRESS  areas 
are grounded in thorough analysis. According to 
the  respondents,  PROGRESS-funded  statistics, 

YEAR AT A GLANCE PROGRESS 2013

reports  and  other  documents  were  helpful  in 
designing  cooperation  strategies.  They  provided 
some good transferable practices in working with 
employers and other stakeholders.

✓ PROGRESS helped the Commission 
and Member States improve their 
knowledge and provided evidence base 
for policy making and advocacy.

Detailed  analysis  of  the  existing  situation, 
was  among  the  key  analytical  activities  in  all 
PROGRESS  policy  fields.  This  evidence  fed  into 
all  stages  of  the  EU  employment  and  social 
policy cycle. PROGRESS-supported evidence was 
assessed  as  useful  for  policymaking  and  pol-
icy  advocacy  purposes  by  over  85 %  of  survey 
respondents. The most useful types of evidence 
were  common  methodologies,  indicators  and 
statistical data (90 % of the respondents).

PROGRESS PROMOTED CAPACITY  
BUILDING AND INVOLVEMENT OF NATIONAL 
AND PAN-EUROPEAN NETWORKS

✓ PROGRESS helped EU-level networks of NGOs 
enhance their capacities in policymaking and 
implementation.

In 2013, PROGRESS provided funding to 31 key 
EU-level networks of NGOs in the areas of pro-
moting  social  inclusion,  combating  discrimina-
tion,  promoting  the  equality  between  men  and 
women and integrating persons with disabilities. 
These  organisations  were  thus  in  a  position  to 
exert  influence  or  change  at  EU  and  national 
levels. In 2013, 84 % of the survey respondents 
agreed that EU-level NGOs provided useful and 
appropriate  information  on  the  implementation 
of  EU  law  and  81 %  agreed  that  these  organi-
sations were successful in increasing awareness 
and exerting pressure on policymakers. 

✓ PROGRESS facilitated the participation of 

disadvantaged social groups in policymaking 
and brought their perspective into different 
policy areas.

EU-level networks of NGOs, especially those rep-
resenting vulnerable social groups, carry out policy 
research  and  analysis  to  help  build  a  counter-
perspective on relevant social groups, e.g. victims 

of discrimination. PROGRESS-supported networks 
contributed to information sharing and learning by 
organising  trainings  and  mutual  learning  events 
that  focused  on  the  values  of  the  EU  (inclusive 
growth,  non-discrimination  and  fundamental 
rights  for  all)  and  disseminated  EU  level  agreed 
messages through their national organisations. 

PROGRESS PROMOTED HIGH-QUALITY 
AND PARTICIPATORY POLICY DEBATE 
AT EU AND NATIONAL LEVELS

✓ PROGRESS provided a platform for the 

Member States to debate common issues, 
develop a shared understanding of EU 
objectives and create closer partnerships.

In  2013,  PROGRESS  supported  27  Presidency 
conferences  and  other  high-level  European 
events,  focused  on  issues  such  as  poverty  and 
social exclusion, active ageing and youth unem-
ployment.  Around  80 %  of  respondents  agreed 
that  the  EU  had  a  positive  contribution  to  the 
clarity of issues during policy debate at national/
regional/local  levels.  Respondents  who  partici-
pated in the events intend to use the knowledge 
they acquired: 95 % intend to share it with their 
peers/management, colleagues and other stake-
holders,  while  86 %  intend  to  use  the  acquired 
knowledge for policymaking or policy advocacy. 

✓ PROGRESS helped the Commission 

and Member States make policies more 
responsive to stakeholder needs through 
the involvement of disadvantaged social 
groups in the EU-level policy debate.

As  previously,  PROGRESS  provided  a  stimu-
lus  for  the  involvement  of  stakeholders  in  the 
policy  processes  both  at  national  and  European 
levels,  and  for  the  representation  of  weaker 
actors, such as ethnic minority groups or people 
experiencing poverty. Examples of such involve-
ment  include  the  annual  EU  Meeting  of  People 
Experiencing Poverty and the European Summits 
for Roma Inclusion.

Results  of  the  Annual  Survey  indicate  that  the 
involvement of relevant EU and national policy-
and  decision-makers  was  high  (almost  80 % 
agreed),  likewise  the  involvement  of  relevant 
stake holders  (70 %  agreed).  Over  70 %  agreed 

K
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X
E
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1
4
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0
0
1
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E
N
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the  EU  had  a  positive  contribution  on  the 
involvement of all stakeholders relevant to pol-
icy debate. When it comes to dissemination of 
results, slightly less than 60 % of the respond-
ents  agreed  that  it  was  adequate,  showing  a 
decrease from previous years.

PROGRESS ENSURED THE INTEGRATION 
OF CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND GREATER 
CONSISTENCY AMONG POLICY AREAS

✓ PROGRESS addressed cross-cutting issues 
through analytical activities, good practice 
exchange seminars and policy debate.

Activities supported through PROGRESS contrib-
uted not only to the achievement of policy-specific 
outcomes, but also to the integration of equality 
between  men  and  women,   non-discrimination 
and  combating  poverty  into  all  its  policy  areas. 
A  large  majority  of  respondents  acknowledged 
the  EU  contribution,  especially  to  the  integra-
tion  of  gender  equality  and  non-discrimination 
issues  into  their  respective  policy  areas  (83 % 
and 82 % accordingly). 

✓ PROGRESS contributed to the consistency 

of EU policies and legislation.

Consistency  in  PROGRESS  policy  areas  and  leg-
islation  is  achieved  through  common  activities 
and  studies  initiated  under  one  PROGRESS  pol-
icy area and then used in other areas. Activities 
supported  through  PROGRESS  provided  the 
information,  analysis,  research  and  statistical 
information  necessary  for  policy  coordination, 

notably for solid analysis and integration of gen-
der  equality  issues  into  the  policy  documents 
in  other  policy  areas,  such  as  joint  reports  and 
Commission communications.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRESS OUTPUTS

The  PROGRESS  Annual  Performance  Monitoring 
Report  2013  gives  a  full  account  of  the  pro-
gramme’s headway in achieving its mission and 
reviews the deliverables produced in 2013 as well 
as  their  use  by,  and  benefits  for,   policymakers, 
social  partners,  NGOs  and  other   stakeholders 
across the EU. The graph below summarises the 
key types of deliverables, presented as a share of 
total  operational  expenditure,  which  amounted 
to EUR 98.16 million in 2013.

Operational expenditure: commitments in 2013, 
by contribution to PROGRESS immediate outcome

2 %

12 %

16 %

45 %

25 %

Source: European Commission.

Information sharing and learning

Greater capacity of networks

Evidence-based policy

High quality and participatory debate

Integration of cross-cutting issues

This leaflet is available in printed format in English, French and German. 
The full text of the report in English can be downloaded at http://ec.europa.eu/progress 
(Performance monitoring reports).

This report was financed by and prepared for the use of the European Commission, 
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. It does not necessarily 
represent the Commission’s official position.

ISBN: 978-92-79-38022-8
doi:10.2767/22094 

© European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
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