Study supporting the evaluation of the Council recommendation on the integration of long-term unemployed into the labour market

The purpose of this assignment was to carry out an external study to support the evaluation of the actions taken in response to the Council Recommendation on the integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market (the Recommendation), as requested by Article 14 of the same Recommendation. The study covers actions undertaken in Members States and by the Commission in response to the Recommendation. It assesses the extent to which the general and specific objectives have been realised, tracking the activities implemented, outputs reached, and results achieved. The evaluation criteria effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value are addressed, in line with the Better Regulation Guidelines of the European Commission. The study provides an assessment of the extent to which the Recommendation contributed to: - an increase in coverage - increased registration of long-term unemployed individuals with Public Employment Services in Member States; - an improved continuity and coordination between relevant services, including by identifying a single point of contact (SPOC) in charge of coordinating support; - an improved effectiveness of interventions towards both long term unemployed and employers.