Peer review of labour market programmes in the European Union: what can countries really learn from one another?

This article analyses attempts to promote the diffusion of labour market programmes across the member states of Se EU. Under a peer review procedure, member states are encouraged to host Visits from other countries to review policy approaches and policy measures whose success they wish to publicize. The article examines the extent to which reviewers feel that they have learnt and whether they consider any aspects of the programmes the), have examined to be transferable. Whilst there is evidence at EU level of policy convergence through the adoption of certain labour market targets, there is little evidence either of systematic learning or of significant efforts at emulation. Some explanations for failure on the first count might be found in more general impediments to organizational learning. Some explanations for failures on the second count might be found in perceptions of major cultural and institutional differences between countries. Proposals are made for improvement of the peer review procedure, but reservations remain about whether it does not remain about it being a relatively exclusive process.