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1. Within the areas of PES responsibility, the Network shall, in particular, carry out the following initiatives:

(a) the development and implementation of Union-wide, evidence-based benchlearning among PES to compare, with appropriate methodology, the performance of their activities in the following areas:

(i) contribution to reducing unemployment for all age, gender and vulnerable groups;

(ii) contribution to reducing the duration of unemployment and reducing inactivity, so as to address long-term and structural unemployment, as well as social exclusion;

(iii) filling of vacancies (including through voluntary labour mobility);

(iv) customer satisfaction with PES services;

(b) the provision of mutual assistance, either in the form of peer-to-peer or group activities, through cooperation, exchanges of information, experiences and staff between the members of the Network, including support for the implementation of PES-related country-specific recommendations issued by the Council upon request by the Member State or the PES concerned;

(c) contribute to the modernisation and strengthening of PES in key areas, in view of the Union’s employment and social policies, and having in mind the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as challenges related to digitalisation, the changing world of work and work patterns as well as demographic changes;

(d) prepare reports at the request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, or on its own initiative;

(e) contribute to the implementation of relevant policy initiatives;

(f) the adoption and implementation of its annual work programme setting out its working methods, deliverables and the details related to the implementation of benchlearning as well as dissemination and cooperation strategies;

(g) the promotion and sharing of best practices on the identification of NEETs, on the development of initiatives to ensure those young people gain the skills necessary to enter and remain in the labour market, and on the integration of the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups into the labour market.

As regards the initiative laid down in point (a) of the first subparagraph, the benchmarking shall use the indicators set out in the Annex. The Network shall also participate actively in the implementation of these activities by sharing data, knowledge and practices. Member States shall remain competent to decide whether to engage on a voluntary basis in additional benchlearning exercises in areas other than those listed in points (i) to (iv) of point (a).

2. The Network shall establish a reporting mechanism in relation to the initiatives listed in paragraph 1. In application of that mechanism, the members of the Network shall report annually to the Board.