Working Programme

The Coordination Action (CA) PRESOM - Privatisation and the European Social Model started on 1st of January 2006 and will end on 31st December 2008.

The overall objective of the CA is to establish a scientifically based assessment of the impact of privatisation and liberalisation in the EU upon the functioning of the emerging European Social Model (ESM) from different points of view and to contribute to the development of policies for the public and private sectors aiming to strengthen this model of society.

Sub-objectives of the CA are:

  • to contribute to the advancement of knowledge about the configuration of private and public services most conducive to sustainable development of the European societies,
  • to organise interdisciplinary communication between different scientific centres, social groups and political actors involved in the debate about privatisation and the E S M, and
  • to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of the public sector in the development of the ESM.

These objectives will be pursued in three phases with 10 work packages. In phase 1 a state-of-the-art stocktaking of the literature on the history and theory of liberalisation and privatisation and on the ESM takes place. In phase 2 interdisciplinary analyses of the impact of liberalisation and privatisation on economic performance, social cohesion and political structures will be undertaken on the basis of general overviews and of specific case studies. A special work package will assess the role of liberalisation and privatisation in the transformation of the new Eastern European members of the EU. In phase 3 conclusions from the results of the previous work will be drawn and policy proposals will be formulated for the extent and structure of private and public services most favourable to a strong ESM.

PRESOM will work with other research networks and institutes, inviting comments and critique and will communicate and disseminate the results to the public, policy makers, trade unions and other social movements to make a distinctive contribution to overcoming the present crisis of the European integration process.

Expected results:

A substantial contribution to the scientific and political debates about strategies to enhance and strengthen the European Social Model.