Participation in lifelong learning in the EU-15: the role of macro level determinants Steven Groenez, Ella Desmedt and Ides Nicaise Contact details: Higher Institute of Labour studies, University of Leuven, Parkstraat 47, 3000 Leuvene-mail: StevenGroenez@hiva.kuleuven.be Since the 1990s, lifelong learning (LLL) has taken a prominent place on the European policy agenda. However, not all European countries have made equal progress in their pursuit of the Lisbon target of a 12.5% participation rate in LLL by 2010. In this paper we adopt a macro perspective and explore how demographic, technological, economic and cultural factors (labelled as 'system characteristics') have an impact on the participation of adults in education and training at the macro level. Next to the issue of participation in LLL, we focus on the question of social inequalities in participation.A system approach assumes that LLL performs specific functions within the broader economic, social and cultural system in which it is embedded and that all these subsystems are closely interrelated and mutually interdependent. To do justice to this complexity we map out a framework in which Hall & Soskice's 'varieties of capitalism' (2001) is our main source. This framework is supplemented with the typology of welfare states as developed by Esping-Andersen (1990 and 1999). The resulting framework suggests that different economies invest in competences in a different way, that they support a different kind of innovation and that this happens within the context of different industrial relations. Integrating both frameworks highlights the importance of institutional complementarities, whereby the presence of one institution boosts the efficiency of the other.This framework allows putting forward hypotheses with regard to participation in LLL. In order to test these hypotheses, macro-level data on the EU-15 countries is gathered from OECD and Eurostat sources for the year 2004. Bringing the hypotheses to the test, the explanatory models clearly favour an employability-oriented interpretation of country level variations in the participation rates. Both the employment and the innovation rate have a large impact. Furthermore, comprehensive education systems appear to generate higher participation. A high overall participation rate in LLL is strongly associated with less social inequalities in participation. This stresses the social inclusion potential of non-selective and widely accessible systems of lifelong learning. In addition, the system characteristics reflecting government intervention in the areas of education, lifelong learning and active labour market policies (ALMP) play an important part in reducing inequalities. Finally, our results underline the importance of social dialogue in designing and delivering policies to enhance participation and combat inequalities in participation.