Expert Network for Analytical Support in Social Policies

Learn more about LISER’s departments, shaping our contributions to societal and scientific challenges.

Discover research that examines key challenges in employment, economic trends and social dynamics within the labour market, offering valuable insights into these important areas.

Living Conditions

Engage with research that investigates the factors influencing living standards, with a focus on income distribution, housing conditions and social inclusion, providing evidence-based insights into these crucial areas.

Urban Development and Mobility

Studies urban dynamics to identify pathways of actors to stimulate sustainable urban transitions.

Appel à Communications: Les relations industrielles dans un monde du travail en mutation

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Crossing Borders

Discover how our research into the complexities of cross-border mobility is advancing knowledge, shaping policy, benefiting society and addressing global challenges.

Health and Health Systems

Engage with research dedicated to enhancing public health, improving healthcare accessibility, and promoting equitable and efficient health solutions at a global scale.

Discover LISER's initiatives, driving scientific progress and fostering meaningful collaborations with stakeholders.

Doctoral programmes

Meet a dynamic community of researchers addressing critical societal challenges through innovative and interdisciplinary studies. Our doctoral programme offers exceptional training, mentorship and opportunities to shape impactful policies and drive innovation in diverse fields.

Data Science and Simulation

The Centre of Competence for Data Science and Simulation (DSS) is a cross-departmental initiative. Our ambition is to develop infrastructure, tools and competences in in machine learning, big data, microsimulation and geoexperimentation to conduct excellent research and advise policy-makers as well as stakeholders.

cc-EXPAR - Competence Centre in Experimental and Participatory Research

The Competence Centre in Experimental and Participatory Research (EXPAR) is a cross-departmental initiative. Our ambition is to improve awareness of and skills in experimental and participatory research methods to strengthen LISER’s position at the forefront of internationally high quality, scientifically rigorous and societally relevant research.

Expanding the evidence base for social policy

ENASSP is an EU-funded network. It is managed by a consortium consisting of LISER (lead partner) and Applica, in close collaboration with the European Social Observatory (Observatoire social européen [OSE]). It provides the European Commission with independent analysis and expertise to support evidence-based social policies and facilitate the exchange of information in the areas of social protection and social inclusion.

Two complementary components: ESPAN and MISSOC

LISER manages and coordinates ESPAN (European Social Policy Analysis Network), a network of independent social policy experts covering 39 countries. Applica provides centralised secretarial services to MISSOC (Mutual Information System on Social Protection), the inter-governmental network for exchange of information on social protection systems covering 31 countries.

European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN)

ESPAN mobilises 120+ experts in 39 national expert teams to inform the European Commission’s analysis of policies on social protection and social inclusion in the 27 EU Member States, the 10 (potential) candidate countries as well as Iceland and Norway.

National expertise, European perspective

From national knowledge to European evidence; and from evidence to better-informed social policy. The objectives of ESPAN include:

Describing, analysing and understanding national policies;
monitoring reforms and policy challenges in countries;
putting national approaches into perspective and producing comparative evidence;
identifying promising practices;
informing European decision-making.

Two thematic reporting cycles each year

Each year, the European Commission identifies two social policy areas to be analysed by ESPAN national experts in Country Reports. Drawing on these reports and its own expertise, the ESPAN Coordination Team prepares

Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC)

Our consortium partner Applica provides centralised secretarial support to the MISSOC network, whose members are appointed by the authorities of the 31 participating countries.

National expertise, European perspective

Through its secretariat provided by ENASSP, MISSOC ensures a structured exchange of information on national social protection systems across Europe by preparing and updating comparative legislative tables (addressed mainly to professional users) and social security guides (for the general public). MISSOC covers the 27 EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway. and Switzerland.

LISER leadership

A Policy Lab flagship

ESPAN (2014 – to date) provides a flagship example of the LISER Policy Lab connecting rigorous comparative evidence with public decision-making across Europe.

It coordinates a broad international community of social-policy experts and turns their expertise into coherent independent comparative evidence. It strengthens the bridge between European policy analysis, stakeholder dialogue and research impact.

By combining independent national expertise with a common analytical framework, ESPAN produces comparative evidence that helps understand and assess national approaches, identify shared policy challenges and promising practices, and inform social policy development at European level.

ENASSP outputs

Explore the evidence

Country reports — In-depth national assessments prepared by ESPAN experts on common social-policy themes.

Synthesis reports — Cross-country analysis highlighting shared challenges, policy differences, promising practices and recommendations.

MISSOC resources — Structured comparative information on national social protection systems, including comparative tables and social security guides.

European Commission Repository - Explore ENASSP reports and resources

Project involvement

Our focus areas

Explore key topics driving this project, addressing challenges like Social policy and Economic insecurity with innovative solutions.

Social policy and redistribution

Economic insecurity and poverty

The European Social Policy Network (ESPN)—renamed the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN) in 2022—was set up by LISER in 2014, when the European Commission decided that two existing European networks of independent experts should be merged: the social inclusion network and the social protection network. LISER had established the original social inclusion network in 2005 and coordinated it until 2014, when the network’s scope had to be expanded to include social protection.

Meet the team driving this project forward

A passionate team of experts collaborates to deliver meaningful research and innovative solutions. Their dedication ensures this project achieves impactful outcomes.