Researchers from 33 institutions in 25 countries came together for a special workshop on EUROMOD, the multi-country, tax-benefit model for the whole European Union.
A range of high profile guests from the European Commission and other European institutions attended the event, held at ISER’s University of Essex base.
As well as demonstrating a range of new developments in the computer-based research tool, the EUROMOD team also explained to those attending how it is already being used in in a range of research, including work to help combat child poverty in the Baltic States and to examine the protective effects of welfare systems in times of economic recession.
Holly Sutherland, who leads the EUROMOD project from ISER, said:
“The workshop has been a fantastic forum to share the latest improvements we have been able to make and to show the range of policy-relevant research and work that is already making use of this resource. It has also been an excellent opportunity to share ideas on EUROMOD’s current and potential usefulness."
In February this year, EUROMOD’s usefulness and further potential were recognised with a substantial grant from the European Commission to update and upgrade it and to extend it to cover the whole enlarged European Union over the next three years.
EUROMOD analysis, as a tool for monitoring the effects of policy and as input into evidence-based policy-making, has been taken up by international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the policy Directorates of the European Commission. EUROMOD activity within some of the new member states has triggered interest in developing similar tools to improve policy-making at the national level.