Focus

Open Method of Coordination

In many policy areas, EU Member States set their own national policies rather than having an EU-wide policy laid down in law. However, under the 'open method of coordination' (OMC) governments learn from each other by sharing information and comparing initiatives. This enables them to adopt best practice and coordinate their national policies.

The OMC provides a framework for co-operation between the Member States, whose national policies can thus be directed towards certain common objectives. Under this method, the Member States are evaluated by one another, with the European Commission's role limited to coordination and surveillance.

Scope

The open method of coordination takes place in areas which fall within the competence of the Member States, such as employment, social protection, social inclusion, education, youth or training. It deals with measures which are binding on Member States in varying degrees, but which never take the form of directives, regulations or decisions.

First steps of the OMC

Although the OMC has its origins in methods for Europe-wide employment policy coordination, such as the Luxembourg process, it was not defined as a far-reaching instrument until the Lisbon Strategy (2000). It was the Lisbon Strategy that named the method and aimed to extend it to provide a coherent and integrated framework for action.

The OMC in the youth field

The OMC is used to establish common objectives for the 4 priorities of the White Paper on Youth: “participation”, information”, “voluntary activities” and “a greater understanding and knowledge of youth”. Then the European Commission coordinates and monitors the implementation of the objectives in the Member States through the method. Consulting young people is part of the process.

European guidelines can, in this way, be integrated into national and regional policies taking into account local differences.

In the youth field, the OMC is applied with a flexible approach, with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity. The working procedure is:

Each Member State completes a standardised questionnaire on the 4 priorities. On the basis of their responses, the Commission presents a synthesis report and proposes common objectives for each priority. The Council adopts common objectives for the priorities.
Member States are responsible for implementation of the common objectives. After a certain period, they report on what they have done to achieve the set objectives. On the basis of these reports, the Commission prepares a progress report which is presented to the Council. The European Parliament and the other EU institutions are informed in the process and often publish their own reports and opinions.

The implementation of the objectives is without reference to indicators or benchmarks. But their obligation to report back to the Commission on their achievements implies a certain degree of responsibility of the Member States. The Commission and the Member States (through the Council) evaluate the reports and the progress made within each of the common objectives.
In 2008 the Member States will have reported on all the four priorities, and in 2009 the first cycle of the OMC will be finished, with a global evaluation of the results.

Rolling Agenda