Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP)

The Economic and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) Project is the result of policy dialogue and consultations between the ILO, the European Commission (DG EMPL, DG NEAR) and the regional Cooperation Council (RCC), under the EU Multi-country Action Programme 2015 priorities. It is financed by the European Commission from the EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance II (IPA) and will be jointly implemented by the ILO and the RCC in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo (as per UNSCR 1244) in the period 2016-2019. The project aims to strengthen the sub-regional cooperation and institutional capacities of the Western Balkan governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and social dialogue institutions so as to design and implement reforms in the areas of employment/ labour market and social policy for advancing their EU pre-accession agendas. The ESAP project has been structured into three components: Component 1 will add to the ILO’s ongoing efforts for strengthening governments’ and social partners’ institutional capacity to engage in effective social dialogue. For this purpose, the Project will create sub-regional networks of national Economic and Social Councils, and agencies for peaceful settlement of labour disputes, as well as of labour law practitioners in the Western Balkan countries. Component 2 will contribute to developing close relationship and trust between national labour inspections in the sub-region, promoting information and knowledge sharing related to the alignment of national legislations to ILS and EU directives, development of strategies and tools for the formalization of informal employment and undeclared work and institutional responses to compliance issues. Thematic campaigns will also be supported at national level. Through Component 3, the ILO will provide technical assistance to the social partners and the RCC so as to ensure the effective participation of employers’ and workers’ organizations in the RCC’s work regarding the 3rd pillar of the Economic and Reform Programmes and the coordination of the sub-regional network of public employment services. The ESAP project encompasses face to face and virtual activities, such as: political and technical sub-regional meetings, bilateral exchanges, and the development of new tools and information materials. By the end of the project, a fully operational virtual platform will be set up to follow and complement in-person activities.

Project symbol

RER/15/03/EUR

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Budapest

Start date

01/04/2016

End date

31/10/2019

Total allocation

1722515

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1632405

Development Partners

European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs

Country/Countries

Central and Eastern Europe

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all