50 years of EU Agencies and Joint Undertakings: The founding vision of Cedefop and Eurofound is more contemporary than ever

This commitment gave birth to the EU's first specialised agencies: the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). Their creation embodied a conviction: putting people first makes Europe's social market economy successful.

Today, we face different but equally challenging crises. We are navigating an unprecedented digital transformation, the disruptions caused by Artificial Intelligence, climate change, global trade and political tensions. Just as the founders mandated scientific responses to the challenges of the 1970s, our mission today is to provide the science-based and data-driven compass needed to guide Europe towards a prosperous future.

The enduring blueprint

The establishment of two agencies focused on education, employment and social policy were – and remain today – testament to the belief that economic competitiveness and social progress are inseparable.

Since then, the network of EU agencies and Joint Undertakings (JUs) has grown to over 50 institutions, based in nearly every Member State. They have been established to address diverse challenges and support Europe's evolution, ensuring the development of policies that enhance the quality of life for EU citizens. They provide technical, research, and analytical expertise across diverse policy areas, responding to the complexity and sophistication of today’s challenges spanning from cyber security to human rights, energy regulation, defence and health, to mention but a few.

In an increasingly complex world, EU agencies and JUs are the essential knowledge-brokers, offering specialised expertise, responsiveness, and agility to support Europe. For Cedefop and Eurofound, this process is deeply embedded in social dialogue, mirrored in their structure as a tripartite EU agency, bringing together workers, employers, governments, and the European Commission to ensure relevance and shared ownership.

Engineering tomorrow since 1975

To ensure Europe adapts and seizes opportunities like the green and digital transformation, our agencies execute a vital foresight function – learning from the past, analysing the present, and informing future policies.

For example, Cedefop captures labour-market needs and skills trends, enabling people to acquire the skills and knowledge needed contribute to Europe’s economic growth and society throughout their careers. This skills intelligence is the foundation of Europe's latest ambitions, including the Union of Skills(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab, the new Vocational Education and Training Strategy(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab and the Quality Jobs Roadmap(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab.

 'Since 1975, our vision has been clear: to give every person in Europe the skills to thrive in work and in life. As change accelerates, our mission remains the same: making skills, learning, and opportunity accessible to every citizen and every workplace.' – Jürgen Siebel, Cedefop Executive Director

Similarly, Eurofound monitors trends and analyses progress in living and working conditions across Europe, providing knowledge to help shape better social, employment, and work-related policies. This work offers a critical contribution to many of the current key EU priorities including the proposed Quality Jobs Roadmap, the EU Housing Plan(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab, the Anti-Poverty Strategy(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab and the Competitiveness Compass(opens in new tab)This link opens in a new tab, among others.  

'Current EU priorities demand evidence-based analysis. Without data on how people live and work, efforts to tackle the root causes of today’s malaises cannot succeed'. – Ivailo Kalfin, Eurofound Executive Director

The legacy

Our founders' visionary approach – mandating scientific analysis while placing people first – guides us forward.

Today the EU Agencies and JUs form a network (EUAN) touching crucial aspects of EU citizens’ everyday lives making a difference to people across Europe.

'As current Chair of the EUAN, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is an active and dedicated advocate of the mission of the Agencies Network. ENISA enables the sharing of services and best practices in order to gain efficiencies and helps to improve our peers’ own cybersecurity posture to the benefit of all European citizens.' – Juhan Lepassaar, ENISA Executive Director and 2025 Chair of the EUAN

We urge European leaders to leverage the specialised knowledge of EU Agencies and JUs to build a future where Europe is not just competitive, but resilient, inclusive, equitable and deeply rooted in the lives of its citizens. This is the mission of EU Agencies – the mission, as President von der Leyen put it, of the ‘new Europe that must emerge’.

Image © Tobias Arhelger / Adobe Stock