S.D.O. TO ORGANISE FULL DAY SEMINAR ON THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND

As Malta prepares to join the European Union, it is essential that it develops the capacity-building, necessary for the eventual programming and implementation of the European Social Fund. It is important that government, social partners and civil society are made aware of the opportunities available through these Funds.

To address this need, the Staff Development Organisation, in collaboration with the Ministry for Social Policy, will be organising a full-day seminar on the European Social Fund on the 1^st February 2002.

This activity is being co-financed by the French Authorities through its Embassy in Malta.

The target audience includes senior public officials, members of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, including the Civil Society Committee, and senior officials at the Employment and Training Corporation.

The seminar will focus on the general principles of the Structural Funds, programming and assessment in preparing negotiations. Other issues that will be dealt with during this seminar include: contributions and financial management, monitoring, financial control evaluation and publicity; good practices in implementing the Structural Funds, and the European Social Fund in particular, as well as the Joint Assessment Paper on Employment Priorities.

This workshop is being facilitated by Mr Bernard Zahra, from the Directorate-General for Economic and Monetary Affairs and Mr João Delgado, Principal Administrator at the Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General. Both are from the European Commission.