Research in this theme will provide answers to questions related to:

• growth, employment and competitiveness;
• social cohesion, social, cultural and educational challenges in an enlarged EU;
• sustainability, environmental challenges, demographic change, migration and integration, quality of life and global interdependence.

Emphasis will be given to the following activities:

• Growth, employment and competitiveness in a knowledge society:
• innovation, competitiveness and labour market policies;
• education and life-long learning;
• economic structures and productivity.
• Combining economic, social and environmental objectives in a European perspective:
• socio-economic models within Europe and across the world;
• economic and social and cohesion across regions;
• social and economic dimensions of environmental policy.
• Major trends in society and their implications - demographic change, reconciling family and work, health and quality of life, youth policies, social exclusion and discrimination;
• Europe in the world - trade, migration, poverty, crime, conflict and resolution;
• The citizen in the European Union - political participation, citizenship and rights, democracy and accountability, the media, cultural diversity and heritage, religions, attitudes and values;
• Socio-economic and scientific indicators - the use and value of indicators in policymaking at macro and micro levels;
• Foresight activities - the future implications of global knowledge, migration, ageing, risk and the emerging domains in research and science.

Duration: 2007 to 2013
Directorate General: DG Research
Budget: 623 M €

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