Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) 3

The ESAP 3 project will build on the results achieved under its two previous phases, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of previous achievements and introduction of new actions to address remaining challenges to fair, inclusive, gender-sensitive and well-functioning labour markets in the Western Balkans, while contributing to the EU accession process. 

ESAP 3 comprises three thematic components:

1. Employment formalization
2. Social dialogue and collective bargaining
3. Occupational Safety and Health 

The Employment formalization component will build on the successful practices established during ESAP 2, providing stakeholders in the Western Balkans with evidence-based policy options for formalizing employment. It will expand the knowledge base related to employment formalization within the Western Balkans, support stakeholders in integrating evidence into their policies, and assist with implementation as needed.

To foster effective tripartite and bipartite social dialogue, the Social dialogue and collective bargaining component will assist social partners and tripartite organizations develop high-quality policy positions, draft legislation (laws and by-laws), and design practical measures related to industrial relations, including collective bargaining and labour markets. Additionally, it will upskill social partners to engage more effectively in social dialogue and expand collective bargaining.

In the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) component, the ILO will work to ensure that OSH Frameworks adopted and implemented are aligned with EU acquis, the International Labour Standards (ILS), and the ILO Global Strategy. Furthermore, it will aim to enhance the capacities and outreach of labour inspectorates and other relevant stakeholders in OSH to ensure safer and healthier workplaces.

Beneficiary institutions, including Ministries responsible for labour, labour inspectorates, social partners, and tripartite organizations, will be actively involved in the implementation of ESAP 3 to ensure a high level of ownership and the sustainability of the achieved results.

The ILO’s Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for Central and Eastern Europe will oversee the implementation of ESAP 3, in close collaboration with the ILO Regional Office for Europe and the relevant technical departments at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The project covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. 

ESAP3 website