19 List of Abbreviations ACT Advance Corporation Tax AGF Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of the Industrial Society BDA Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Confederation of German Employers’ Associations) BDI Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V. (Confederation of German Industry) BEPG Broad Economic Policy Guidelines BfA Bundesanstalt für Arbeit (Federal Emplyoment Service, FES) BMA Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) BMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Ministry of Education and Research) BMELV Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection) BMF Bundesministerium für Finanzen (Ministry of Finance) BMFSFJ Bundesministerium für Familien, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) BMG Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Ministry of Health) BMWA Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (Ministry of Economics and Labour) BMWi Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (Ministry of Economics and Technology) bn Billion CBI Confederation of British Industry CEC Conference of European Churches CEEP European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest CER Centre of European Reforms COPA Comité des Organisations Professionelles Agricoles de l’Union Européenne (Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the European Union) CoR Committee of the Regions CRE Commission for Racial Equality CT Constitutional Treaty CTC Childcare Tax Credit DfES Department for Education and Skills List of Abbreviations 20 DG ECFIN Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission DG EMPL Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission DGB Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (German Federation of Trade Unions) DIHKT Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammerstag (German Association of Chambers of Commerce) DPTC Disabled Persons Tax Credit DRC Disability Rights Commission DTI Department of Trade and Industry DWP Department for Work and Pensions EC European Community ECOFIN Economic and Financial Affairs Council ECOSOC European Economic and Social Committee EDP Excessive Deficit Procedure E(DOP) Ministerial Sub-Committee on European Issues EES European Employment Strategy EES-PCN European Employment Strategy–Policy Co-ordination Network EFC Economic and Financial Committee EG Employment Guideline ELMC Employment and Labour Market Committee (1997-2000) EMCO Employment and Labour Market Committee (2000 onwards) EMLG European Multilevel Governance EMU European Monetary Union EPSCO Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council EOC Equal Opportunities Commission EPC Economic Policy Committee ERM Exchange Rate Mechanism ES Employment Service ESC Economic and Social Committee ESF European Social Fund ETUC European Trade Union Confederation ETUI European Trade Union Institute EU European Union FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office FES Federal Employment Service (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit, BfA) GDP Gross Domestic Product List of Abbreviations 21 GIA Gender Impact Assessment GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification ICT Information and Communication Technology IT Information and Technology IG Integrated Guideline IG BCE Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industries’ Trade Union) IGC Intergovernmental Conference IiP Investors in People IiYP Investing in Young People ILA Individual Learning Account ILO International Labour Organisation IMF International Monetary Fund IMS Internal Market Strategy INQA Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (Initiative ‘New Quality of Work’) JIU Joint International Unit JSA Job Seekers Allowance KMK Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder) LSC Learning and Skills Council LSP Local Strategic Partnership m Million MA Modern Apprenticeship MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food NACETT National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets NAP National Action Plan NCS National Childcare Strategy ND New Deal ND 25+ New Deal for long-term Unemployed/People aged 25+ ND 50+ New Deal for People aged 50+ NDCIS New Deal Continuous Improvement Strategy NDDP New Deal for Disabled People NDIF New Deal Innovation Fund NDLP New Deal for Lone Parents ND plus for LP New Deal plus for Lone Parents NDPU New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People List of Abbreviations 22 NDYP New Deal for Young People NEDC National Economic Development Council NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NHS National Health Service NIC National Insurance Contribution NIF National Insurance Fund NMW National Minimum Wage NRP National Reform Programme NSNR National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal NTO National Training Organisations OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ÖTV Gewerkschaft Öffentlicher Dienst, Transport & Verkehr (Public Services, Transport and Traffic Trade Union) OJ Official Journal OMC Open Method of Co-ordination OMC-PCN Open Method of Co-ordination-Policy Co-ordination Network QMV Qualified Majority Voting PCN Policy Co-ordination Network PermRep Permanent Representation pp Per cent Points pp. Pages RDA Regional Development Agency REA Regional Employment Agencies RTWC Return to Work Credit SBS Small Business Service SCE Standing Committee on Employment SEA Single European Act SGB III Sozialgesetzbuch, Band III (Social Security Code, vol. III) SGB IX Sozialgesetzbuch, Band IX (Social Security Code, vol. IX) SGP Stability and Growth Pact SME Small and Medium-sized Enterprise SPC Social Protection Committee SSC Sector Skills Council SSDA Sector Skills Development Agency SWFG Single Work Focussed Gateway TEC Treaty establishing the European Community TEEC Treaty of the European Economic Community List of Abbreviations 23 TEU Treaty establishing the European Union TUC Trades Union Congress UEAPME Union Européenne de l’Artisanat et de Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) UfI University for Industry UK United Kingdom UNICE Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations in Europe ver.di Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (United Services’ Trade Union) WBLA Work Based Learning for Adults WEU Women and Equality Unit WFTC Working Family Tax Credit WTC Working Tax Credit WWC Women and Work Commission ZDH Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (Central Association of German Crafts) 25 “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” (A. Einstein) “It is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong.” (J. M. Keynes) “It is economic and social forces … which are most influential in determining the practical operation of political institutions, and it is economic and social relations that create the most urgent of the internal problems confronting industrial communities.” (R. H. Tawney)