Ian Livingstone

1. Myself Ian Livingstone Community Initiatives Unit (B/4)DG for EMPLOYMENT and SOCIAL AFFAIRSEuropean Commission Tel. (32-2) 296 31 14Fax (32-2) 296 97 70 Ian.Livingstone@cec.eu.int http://europa.eu.int/comm/equal

2. EQUAL EQUAL Mainstreaming and Thematic Networking Action 3: Thematic networking, dissemination of good practice and making an impact on national policy Participation in this Action shall be mandatory for all DPs in order to ensure the mainstreaming impact that EQUAL seeks. It shall be organised by the Managing Authority …. Mechanisms to create an impact at Union level: EQUAL and the European Employment Strategy

3. EQUAL EQUAL Mainstreaming and Thematic Networking at EU level Paragraph 44 of the EQUAL Communication: In order to benchmark the best practices, the Commission will organise a series of "thematic reviews" with Development Partnerships for each of the EQUAL thematic fields, taking into account the results of the national thematic networking.

4. EQUAL EQUAL European Thematic Groups 1 To deliver an assessment of good practice and policy-fit, To enable the best practice identified by individual Member States to be show-cased at EU level and used as the basis for EU-wide dissemination, To reflect the structure of the European Employment Strategy (plus asylum-seekers)

5. EQUAL EQUAL European Thematic Groups 2 One ETG per Theme - perhaps one per Pillar initially Informed by the good practice lessons which emerge from the DPs in each Member State Common framework for all ETGs Core group initially to develop the work programme

6. EQUAL EQUAL European Thematic Groups 3 Each Member State should be represented on the ETG of each Theme that they have included in their Programme A Member State could take the lead in an ETG Involvement of DPs will increase over time Specialist consultants will provide thematic expertise and facilitation

7. EQUAL EQUAL Mainstreaming Working Group 1 Acts as a steering group for the European Thematic Groups (ETGs); Develops methodologies and tools to enable good practice to be analysed across Member States; Develop common systems to ensure that information related to EQUAL activity was well documented and easily available.

8. EQUAL EQUAL Mainstreaming Working Group 2 Gathers information on good practice in relation to mainstreaming at national level, to ensure that this information was accessible to all MSs; Develops a common and clear communications strategy to ensure that those not directly involved it the ETGs could be kept informed; All Member States are encouraged to participate, though the Working Group will answer to the Heads of Mission in any case.

9. EQUAL EQUAL • Outstanding issues • Treatment of cross-cutting issues - additional ETGs? • Best means of dissemination? • Internet • Publications • Seminars • other …. • Who represents the Member States on each ETG - Managing Authority, Technical Support Structure, social partner organisation, DP, other … ?

10. EQUAL EQUAL • The next steps • Action 3 begins at the same time as Action 2: 15 May 2002 • Barcelona Conference - 16/17 May 2002: • EQUAL: NetWORKing for Inclusion • First meetings of the ETGs: • Core, during Spring 2002 • Full group, during Summer 2002 • DP involvement, probably from Autumn 2002