Spotlights – Eastern European Social Policy Network

Global survey: Homecare & Nursing home worker

UNICARE wants to hear from you about your experience working on the frontlines during COVID-19.

A global survey of Homecare and Nursing home worker by UNICARE

UNICARE wants to hear from you about your experience working on the frontlines during COVID-19.

Approximately 10 000 health care workers from all continents will be asked to complete this survey. We need to learn your opinions and experience to help us fight for better working conditions on a global scale. Your survey responses will be strictly confidential, and data will be reported only in the aggregate. Your information will be coded and will remain confidential. The data collection is for scientific purposes only.

Complete this survey to support care workers’ better working conditions around the world: bit.ly/UNICARESurvey

Findings of the Con3Post project

The findings of the Con3Post project indicated that immigration of third country national (TCN) workers is driven largely by economic discrepancies and wage disparities between the third countries and EU countries.

The findings of the Con3Post project investigating mobility and posting flows between third countries, EU-sending and EU-receiving countries indicated that immigration of third country national (TCN) workers is driven largely by economic discrepancies and wage disparities between the third countries and EU countries, as well as political and economic instabilities in the third countries. We found that

some companies have become quite active in the wider European markets providing services through posting of TCNs, which has in many cases become a business model for profit maximisation;
the intersection of the migration and employment regimes may enhance the vulnerabilities of posted TCN workers, who tend not to defy or report their employers, on whom they depend not only for employment but also for the renewal of their work and residence permits in the sending country;
despite the mechanisms for control and enforcement of national/EU standards, the vulnerability of TCN posted workers persists due to the cloaking effect of the posting employment characterised by subcontracting, cross-border mobility and temporary service provision.

until 25/02/21: HERAS+ Call for Research Grants open

HERAS+ Call for proposals for Research Grants open from 25/11/2020 to 25/02/2021

HERAS+ Call for proposals for Research Grants open from 25/11/20 to 25/02/21

The ZSI and the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of Kosovo launch together a call for scientific networking and project cooperation between researchers from public universities and universities of applied sciences in Austria, in Kosovo and the Western Balkan region with special attention to young and early stage researchers. The call is part of the project “HERAS+” which is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). Read more

until 01/06/21: Call for Project Peer Reviewers

The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (SFRS) is looking for international experts to ensure a reviewing process of project proposals submitted for funding programs of the SFRS.

The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (SFRS): Call for Project Peer Reviewers

The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (SFRS), a state institution providing grants to researchers in Serbia, is looking for international experts in order to ensure an objective, high-quality two-stage reviewing process of project proposals submitted for funding programs of the SFRS.

More information on the Details of the Call, including inclusion and assessment criteria, ToR and fees are available at the following link

2020 Updated Reviews: on the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Western Balkans

2020 Updated Reviews: on the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Western Balkans

The European Centre updated the existing reviews on the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, and Serbia. The European Centre had already been engaged as international expert organization in the original reviews prepared in 2018. On behalf of the Regional Cooperation Council, the European Centre team was working with country experts and provided quality assurance to ensure that the reports were of high quality, consistent, clear, accurate, sourced, appropriate and timely. Read or download the six reports for 2020 here.

InCARE project launched

InCARE aims to develop a coherent and coordinated approach to the development of LTC policy and care services at local and regional level. It will work towards establishing participatory decision-making processes that allow for iterative and adaptive learning and will bring together policy-makers, care service providers, researchers and care users from 6 European countries.

Over the next three years, socially innovative long-term care service pilots will be implemented in Spain, Austria and North Macedonia.

InCARE is supported by funding from the European Commission through the EaSI PROGRESS Axis. Read more

10-12/11/21: 15th Global Conference on Ageing

15th Global Conference on Ageing: 10-12 November 2021

Pre-Conference: 9 November 2021

Location: Niagara Falls, Canada

The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the health and economic well-being of citizens and societies globally. With the best intelligence that can be gained from public health officials and considering current travel restrictions, the IFA organises the 15th Global Conference on Ageing (for the last time) to November 2021 to ensure the health and safety of all delegates, speakers, staff and volunteers. Read more

European Centre: 46th General Assembly Meeting

The 46th General Assembly Meeting (GAM) of the European Centre took place fully virtually on 19 & 20 October 2020. It focused on social policy and research in the time of COVID-19 and beyond.

46th General Assembly Meeting of the European Centre: Social policy & research in the time of COVID-19

The 46th General Assembly Meeting (GAM) of the European Centre took place fully virtually on 19 & 20 October 2020. It focused on social policy and research in the time of COVID-19 and beyond. European Centre researchers presented achievements and results of their projects to the Board members and BB countries, namely Serbia, Ukraine etc., of the EESPN. They discussed the following topics:

Addressing unexpected risks in social and employment policy
Inter- and intra-generational solidarity
Building the future of work together
Gender and care in later life
Research for, research about and research with target groups
Informing social policies through research

Please find the presentations here

WB: Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth & Sport

Roadmap of a Western Balkans Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth & Sport

The European Union has presented a long-term strategy for cooperation with the Western Balkan region entitled “Western Balkans Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport”. This document presents the specific objectives, priorities and a tentative roadmap of key actions of this Agenda. Read here

New CAF knowledge platform

CAF is the European Common Assessment Framework for better Quality in Public Administration. The CAF improves public sector organisations through self-assessment and contributes to Good Governance.

New Common Assessment Framework knowledge platform

CAF-Network.eu is the Wiki-based knowledge platform for CAF-Users and interested persons. It presents inspiring practices in implementing the CAF and shares Documents, Studies, Articles, Digital CAF Tools, Social Media and Contacts. All CAF-Users and CAF-Correspondents worldwide are invited to provide content to this CAF-knowledge platform. See here