Education

The OSE participated in the second phase of the Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee (FSCG 2), as thematic expert for the policy area “healthcare”.  The study, coordinated by Anne-Catherine Guio, Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, LISER) provides a detailed economic analysis of the design, governance, costs, benefits and implementation options of this important EU initiative.  It focuses on access to free healthcare, education, childcare as well as decent housing and adequate nutrition.

The OSE is a partner in this new project led by the European Public Sector Union (EPSU). The partnership also includes the School of Education of the University of Nottingham. The project aims at investigating the extent to which public sector trade unions – in particular in the area of education – have been involved (if at all) in the European Semester. The project should provide public sector trade unions with tools to achieve effective involvement in the Semester. The OSE will conduct case studies in France and Italy.

OSE started new research for the European Trade Union Institute aimed at developing a critical assessment of the welfare reforms adopted by the Member States in the wake of the economic and fiscal crisis. The research project embraces a larger set of policies: labour market policies, social policies (pensions), education, R&D, and public sector reforms. Some of these areas are typical examples of the so-called ‘structural reforms’ supported by international organisations and the EU.

The OSE has been contracted by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) to conduct research, which resulted in a book on the “Social developments in the European Union 2012”. The 14th edition of this publication features authors such as Paul De Grauwe (From financial to social and political risks in the Eurozone), Alexander Trechsel and Claudius Wagemann (The EU in 2012: political and institutional tensions) and Georg Feigl, Sven Hergovich and Miriam Rehm (Beyond GDP: can we re-focus the debate?).

The OSE was awarded a contract with the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), which consists of contributions to the ETUI Policy Brief series. This series allows for short papers in which researchers can expand upon and express critical and policy-oriented ideas.

The OSE was awarded a contract with publishing house EDIESSE, which publishes la Rivista delle Politiche Sociali (Journal of social policy), an Italian journal dedicated to being a reference point for debate, perspectives and analyses on welfare issues, to conduct research on the social developments in the European Union. The OSE will summarise, four times a year, the result of this research into a Digest (‘Osservatorio Europa’) for the journal.