This area is covered by Article 15 of Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement.

Since entry into force of the EEA Agreement in 1994, Iceland and Norway have been fully integrated in the EURES (EURopean Employment Services) network. Liechtenstein joined in January 2007. The aim of this network is to provide information, advice and recruitment/placement services for employers and workers who wish to make use of their right to the free movement of persons. The EURES portal enables direct access in 20 EU languages to over one million job vacancies throughout Europe.

Having participated in the Employment Incentive Measures Programme until the end of 2006, the EEA EFTA States now participate in the PROGRESS Programme. This programme has different strands, among which an employment section, which now supports the implementation of the European Employment Strategy (EES), currently focusing on promoting "flexicurity" strategies and a life-cycle approach to work. Since 2005, the EES has been part of the integrated Lisbon Strategy and aims at helping countries to create more and better jobs. The EES uses the so-called "open method of coordination", which is based on the following five principles:

• Subsidiarity
• Convergence
• Mutual learning
• Integrated approach
• Management by objectives

The EEA EFTA experts in employment meet once a year with the EU Employment Committee (EMCO), whose task is to monitor the employment situation and employment policies in the EU Member States and to promote coordination between them on employment and labour market policies. They also play an important role in the development of the European Employment Strategy (see above). At this annual meeting, the EEA EFTA States inform the EMCO about their respective labour market situations and the participants then exchange views on a chosen topic. As the EEA EFTA States and the EU Member States mainly share the same challenges, the EEA EFTA experts in employment informed the EMCO that they would be interested in observing the EMCO’s discussions regarding EU employment policy on a more regular basis. The EMCO responded favourably to this request and offered for them to attend the informal EMCO meetings.

See also:

EURES

PROGRESS Programme

European Employment Strategy (EES)

European Employment Observatory (EEO)

Public Employment Services