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OSE

 

Observatoire social européen

The OSE has a forward-looking attitude and operates as a think-tank, identifying emerging issues. It has organised several major international conferences, in particular during Belgium’s presidencies of the European Union. The OSE works closely with the Belgian and European public authorities. Established in 1984, the OSE can rely on a broad-based network of academic and non-academic experts, trade unionists, social stakeholders and – more generally – social partner representatives. Its team of researchers and analysts is multidisciplinary and multilingual. The inclusion of various disciplines and various nationalities in the OSE team has helped bolster its ability to address Europe’s complexity in all of its work: this constitutes one of its strengths.   Over the years, the OSE has become a point of reference both for trade union organisations and for social stakeholders, researchers and journalists seeking unbiased information on the social dimension of the European Union, as well as on the policies affecting it. Nowadays it is a forum for exchanges of views which is open to the world at large and an interface between public authorities, universities, the trade union movement and social bodies. The institution’s Scientific Advisory Board is closely involved in its work and is consulted on a regular basis. The OSE is likewise included in several framework programmes and belongs to some networks of academic excellence.   The OSE has amassed specific expertise, in particular on the impact of economic and monetary union, institutional issues and the open method of coordination. But the following topics also form part of its workload : welfare systems and pensions employment and the labour market: quality/quantity of work, employability, skills management cross-industry and sectoral social dialogue sociale inclusion restructuring and industrial change healthcare corporate social responsability sustainable development gender and diversity Since 1999 the OSE has produced an annual publication for the European Trade Union Institute, entitled "Social Developments in the European Union". It is also a contributor to the Social Policy Digest of the Journal of European Social Policy. The publications of the OSE and its researchers are currently reputed as among the best in Europe on social policy. It has one of the most comprehensive documentation centres on European social affairs.