Item 1: Letter, 23 November, 1977, from Thorkild Herborg Nielsen, Chairperson of the Committee of Experts, to members of the Committee in which he reports on the 17-18 August 1977 meeting of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson 'to discuss and study all the relevant aspects of a 2-3 day seminar' and in which a number of points were reached including that 'The Committee of Experts should concentrate on the long-term aspects of the Foundation's work.' Letter details the preparation needed for the 2-3 day seminar, the extended third meeting of the Committee, including preparatory material and some basic points of view about the Foundation, the Administrative Board and the Committee. Annexed is an invitation letter enclosing draft agenda for the extended third meeting of the Committee of Experts. 10pp. Item 2: CE/3/2a-Strategic criteria as to the choice of the themes and methods for the medium and long term programme. Note states that the 1977 'short term programme already appears to be a medium if not a long term programme. The consequence is that a choice should be done within the framework agreed by the Board in order to define a more restricted programme for 1977' (p.1). Note looks at some of the criteria on which the 1977 work programme should be based and details 'What kind of knowledge should we collect?' (p.3). Note also details the 'Application of these criteria for determining the 1977 programme' in which it lists the themes within the Board's programme that could be retained (p.5). 10pp ; CE/3/2/b-Summary of 'Strategic criteria as to the choice of themes and methods for the medium and short term'. Summary lists the choice of themes that 'might characterise and formulate the underlying strategic criteria' and the 'choice of methods our strategic approach' should follow. 2pp. CE/3/2e-Minutes of the second meeting of the Committee of Experts, 26 January 1977. Minutes, signed by Wiebe de Jong, Director and Thorkild Herborg Nielsen, Chairperson, detail the oral report by the Director on the present operational situation of the Foundation (p.3), the oral report by the Chairperson on the second meeting of the Administrative Board (p.5), an explanation of the draft medium term working programme,1977-81 (p.7), the discussion on the potential contribution to the Foundation from the experiences, contacts and resources of the Committee members (p.10) and the discussion on the possible technical guidelines to be developed by the Committee concerning the evaluation of project proposals (p.10). 11pp. Item 3: Information note on the methodology of a long-term plan. Note states that a long-term plan 'is drawn up on the basis of the general aims of the institution. This can, however, be achieved in several ways ... we feel it would be to our advantage to direct our efforts along a path which on the one hand, is in keeping with the general aims of the Foundation and on the other hand, is derived from the rolling programme adopted by the Administrative Board'. Note details the methodology of devising a long term plan including 'Short analysis of our general framework of action' (p.1), 'Location of the rolling programme within this general framework' (p.2) and 'Some suggestions for defining a long-term programme' in which it is suggested to 'introduce targets not taken into account in the rolling programme and to go further on the lines opened by the rolling programme' (p.4). 11pp. Item 4: Report outlining what the basic programme of the Foundation should consist of. 'In our opinion, the prospects for the European Foundation's becoming a distinctive institution will only materialise if it sees itself as having a threefold objective: that it become a centre for information, consultation and coordination ... that it seek to open up new perspectives concerning living and working conditions in Europe ... that it take advantage of the unique opportunity of considering living conditions and working conditions as an integrated whole.'

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