Do you know what social Europe can do for you?

Workers and job-seekers around Europe are among those benefiting every day from the EU's wide range of employment, social and equal opportunities policies.

The EURES jobs portal, for instance, has guidance for people wanting to live and work in another European country. Every year, money from the European Social Fund pays for nine million people to upgrade their skills and improve their job prospects. Other policies help reduce workplace accidents, tackle poverty, ensure pension systems remain viable and promote equal opportunities. Lastly, the EU is working with national governments to address the social and labour market impacts of the current recession.

The EU recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of these very practical policies. It uses a series of eye-catching and provocative posters with circus images to illustrate nine different areas of EU action. This circus motif continues in a series of animated cartoons, as well as events across Europe in 2009. Following successful appearances in Cyprus and Malta, the EU’s 'circus campaign' will be visiting the following towns:

• Bratislava - March 2009

• Marseilles - March 2009

• Prague - March 2009

• Wrexham - April 2009

• Thessaloniki - May 2009

• Lisbon - May 2009

• Paris - May 2009

The campaign will be bringing together local partners in circus tents at local events such as job fairs, the opening of a new university department and Europe Day celebrations. In Slovenia the campaign posters will be displayed on buses throughout the year.