European Social Policy articles from December 2005

European Social Policy archives from December 2005

WORKING TIME: MEMBER STATES STILL ON COLLISION COURSE.
December 17, 2005... It was close, but no cigar for the UK Presidency as it struggled to broker a compromise among EU social ministers on a revised Working Time Directive at the last Employment and Social Policy Council meeting held under its chairmanship on...

EMPLOYMENT: COURT RULES AGAINST GERMAN LABOUR LAW FOR OLDER WORKERS.
December 17, 2005... The Court acknowledged that the purpose of this German law "is plainly to promote the integration into working life of unemployed older workers". As a rule, such an objective justifies, "objectively and reasonably", a difference of treatment on...

ON-CALL DUTY: COURT CONFIRMS THAT ON-CALL DUTY IS CLASSIFIED AS WORKING TIME.
December 17, 2005... The European Union Court of Justice confirmed on December 1 that on-call duty is classified as working time. The Court was responding to a question from France's Council of State concerning the compatibility of a decree with the EU Directive on...

ROAD TRANSPORT: COUNCIL AND PARLIAMENT REACH AGREEMENT ON DRIVING TIME.
December 17, 2005... Tachographs. Under the terms of the compromise, digital tachographs must be fitted in all lorries put on the road for the first time 20 days after publication of the new Regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union. Precisely...

TRANSPORT COUNCIL: EU STILL LOOKING AT WAYS TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEAFARING PROFESSION.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... "Boosting employment prospects in the Community maritime sector and attracting young people to the seafaring profession": such is the aim of conclusions adopted by the Council of EU Transport Ministers on December 5. Efforts are needed to...

TRANSPORT COUNCIL: IRELAND CALLS FOR LEGISLATION ON SEA CREWS' EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Ireland has asked the European Commission to present a new legislative proposal on the social conditions for the crews manning ferries operating within the EU. Ironically, the Commission had presented a proposal for just such a Directive in...

HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK: SUNLIGHT LAW GONE FOR GOOD.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... A deal was clinched last month to scrap the sunlight measure. But it has now been made official, Mr Mann confirmed on the eve of December 5. The upshot: All references to sunlight will be taken out of the draft Directive, which primarily seeks...

WORKING TIME: MEMBER STATES FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT OVER OPT-OUT.
December 17, 2005... Opt-out meltdown. A revised UK Presidency proposal emerged on December 5. This proposal was slightly revised twice during the Council meeting itself with a view to reaching a compromise. Doing its utmost to avoid fixing a date to end...

WORKING TIME: SPLITTING DIRECTIVE DOWN THE MIDDLE WAS NOT AN OPTION.
December 17, 2005... Commission officials, for their part, said ahead of the meeting that they would be looking nervously on if ministers did indeed consider splitting the Directive with a view to striking a preliminary deal. "Institutionally, the Commission has...

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL COUNCIL: MINISTERS DISCUSS MIGRATION, BACK SOLIDARITY.
December 17, 2005... "We have to reach real mobility within the EU in the near future", said Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, adding that "quality public services" are also need to react to demographic changes. The debate followed...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION: ONLY HALF OF DEPARTMENTS SUBMIT GENDER EQUALITY ACTION PLANS.
December 17, 2005... The report gives a detailed breakdown of gender issues across the Commission and highlights a range of problems, including failure to meet specific recruitment targets. Adopted by the Commission on November 23, it serves as the first in a...

RACISM: POOR DATA ON RACIST CRIME HAMPERING EFFORTS, SAYS EU AGENCY.(Statistical data)
December 17, 2005... Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and most of the new member states do not collect such data, says the EUMC annual report for 2004, which was presented to the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee on November 23. And among member states...

DRUGS: RISE IN CANNABIS USE IN NEW MEMBER STATES, EU AGENCY REPORTS.
December 17, 2005... No dramatic shift in drug use patterns was reported, with cannabis remaining the most popular illegal drug, used on an almost daily basis by up to 3 million people - mostly young men. Over 62 million Europeans have tried cannabis at least once...

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: COMMISSION POISED TO LAUNCH LEGAL ACTION.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Given that 2007 will be the EU's Year of Equality for All, the Commission has hinted it is aiming to crack down on all wayward member states in 2006. According to the EU executive, Germany and Luxembourg have no legislation at all transposing...

EMPLOYMENT: COMMISSION STUDY PLUGS DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The most important business benefit of diversity policies is resolving labour shortages and recruiting and retaining high-quality staff, according to 42% of all respondents. The second most important benefit, cited by 38% of those questioned,...

WOMEN'S RIGHTS: MEPS CALL FOR ACTION TO CLAMP DOWN ON PEOPLE TRAFFICKING.
December 17, 2005... The report, drafted by Austrian Socialist Christa Prets, also recommends a "right of residence" for victims after the traffickers have been tried, which now exists only in Belgium and Italy, suggesting this could encourage victims to give...

MIGRATION: MOVE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF DATA.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The need for better data on migratory and asylum flows and policies has been raised by the European Commission. In a Green Paper adopted on November 28, the Commission asks how best to revamp the European Migration Network, a pilot project set...

EU/MEDITERRANEAN STATES: EDUCATION FOR ALL, THE NEW BARCELONA PROCESS PRIORITY.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The European Commission regards education as a key factor in supporting reform and development in southern Mediterranean countries and has proposed an increase in funding of 50% or euro 1 billion over five years from 2007. The final figure...

EU/AFRICA: MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL GUARD PLANNED TO TACKLE MIGRATION CRISIS.
December 17, 2005... The action plan was presented by EU Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner following a discussion at the Commission's weekly meeting. It was drawn up in response to...

ASYLUM: PROCEDURES DIRECTIVE MAY LOWER INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, UNHCR WARNS.
December 17, 2005... The EU's newly-adopted Asylum Procedures Directive has been sharply criticised by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Reacting to the Directive's formal adoption by EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on December 1, the UNHCR...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS: MEPS VISIT CEUTA AND MELILLA TO PROBE MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REGIME.
December 17, 2005... The delegation was led by the Chairman of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee Jean-Marie Cavada (Liberals, France). After meeting with Spanish officials in Madrid on December 7, MEPs travelled to Melilla on December 8 and Ceuta...

SOCIAL AFFAIRS: NEW REPORT CALLS FOR OVERHAUL OF FRENCH POLICY ON GYPSIES.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... "Many gypsies and travellers are driven from municipality to municipality, unable to halt for more than very short periods at a time, before being subjected to the next forced eviction", the ERRF says in a statement. "Most of French territory,...

EU BUDGET: HUBNER SLAMS UK PROPOSALS ON REGIONAL FUNDS.
December 17, 2005... The Commissioner was commenting on changes to rules concerning the spending of structural and cohesion policy funds in a document tabled by the UK Presidency on December 5 on the 2007-13 budget. The paper proposes extending the time limit for...

REGIONAL POLICY: EU AGREES TO MAKE TOWNS MORE ATTRACTIVE.
December 17, 2005... The meeting in Bristol gave ministers a chance to discuss the idea of creating "sustainable communities" in the EU as a whole, i.e. areas where citizens enjoy efficient administration, relevant services and a well thought-out urban structure....

EU/LIBYA: TRIPOLI EXPELS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SENT BY ITALY, MEPS LEARN.
December 17, 2005... According to Libya's deputy Foreign Minister, Mohammed Tahar Sila, "when illegal immigrants are returned to Libya, our mission is to contact the different embassies to verify their nationality and get them a travel visa. Afterwards we...

CULTURE: ISTANBUL BRINGS ITS BID FOR 2010 CULTURE CAPITAL TO BRUSSELS.
December 17, 2005... "Istanbul is not only Turkish but is a collective memory of European heritage", Turkish MP Egemen Bagis, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), told journalists after members of the project's executive board met with...

EMPLOYMENT: COMMISSION APPROVES ITALIAN FISCAL INCENTIVES FOR JOB CREATION.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The scheme has two main components: - A deduction from IRAP for all firms in Italy that create new jobs. A yearly deduction in the tax base of up to euro 20,000 is foreseen for each new job created from now until the end of December 2007....

EU UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STICKS AT 8.3% IN OCTOBER.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
December 17, 2005... The euro-zone's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.3% in October 2005, the same as in September (it was a good half point higher at 8.8% in October 2004). The EU jobless rate was 8.5% in October 2005, unchanged on September (it...

TAXATION: COMMISSION TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO REDUCED VAT RATES UNTIL JANUARY 24.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The EU executive board gave the go-ahead to Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs on December 7 to pursue negotiations with the Council in an effort to secure agreement on reform of reduced rates of VAT. The Commissioners above...

EMPLOYMENT: OECD UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 6.4% IN OCTOBER 2005.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The standardised unemployment rate for the OECD area fell to 6.4% in October 2005, 0.1 percentage point lower than the previous month and 0.4 percentage point lower than a year earlier. In the euro area, it remained at 8.3% in October 2005,...

COMMISSION APPROVES REFUND SCHEME FOR IRISH EMPLOYERS OF SEAFARERS.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... An Irish government scheme to refund social security contributions for seafarers can be extended, the European Commission agreed on November 23. The scheme, worth around euro 4 million annually, aims to increase the number of EU seafarers...

REGIONAL POLICY: COMMISSION SEEKS NEW INITIATIVES FOR FINANCING INVESTMENT FOR GROWTH.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Danuta Hubner, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, would like financial institutions to become more involved in funding urban renovation and social housing. Speaking at a conference in Brussels on November 24, she announced that her...

EU/US: MUTUAL RECOGNITION PACT FOR ARCHITECTS AGREED.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Qualified architects from the European Union should be accepted by government and other official authorities in the United States - and vice versa for American architects in Europe - thanks to a preparatory mutual recognition agreement...

COMMISSION UPDATES MINISTERS ON NATIONAL JOBS & GROWTH REFORM PROGRAMMES.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
December 17, 2005... Ministers meeting at the Competitiveness Council in Brussels on November 29 were informed by the European Commission that it had now received the growth and jobs national reform programmes from all EU member states bar Poland and Germany, for...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: COMMISSION OBSERVES DAY OF DISABLED PEOPLE.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... "One European of working age out of six has some form of disability", Vladimir Spidla stressed at a conference in Brussels. The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities kicked off the two-day event on December 1,...

EDUCATION: ERASMUS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO APPRENTICES, MEP CLAIMS.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The EU should set up a nine-month Erasmus exchange programme for apprentices, according to French Socialist MEP Guy Bono. While apprentices can presently profit from the Leonardo da Vinci programme, this is limited to exchanges of three months,...

ENERGY COUNCIL: UNIONS DEMAND AN END TO "DEREGULATION MADNESS".(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Energy unions throughout the EU, represented by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) protested loudly outside the Council of Ministers building in Brussels, on December 1, where the Energy Council was being held. They then...

CARLO PARIETTI APPOINTED NEW PRESIDENT OF EUROCADRES.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Italian born Carlo Parietti was named as the new President of Eurocadres, at the organisation's congress in Brussels on December 2. The ex-leader of Agenquadri-CGIL will head up the Council of European professional and managerial staff with a...

FRENCH TRADE UNION LEADER ELECTED PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE UNIONS.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... France's Anne-Marie Perret, Federal Secretary of the French Force Ouvriere-Fonctionnaires trade union, has been elected as President of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU). The EPSU Executive Committee unanimously endorsed...

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S COMMISSION FOR PEACE IN THE NEAR EAST PRESENTED TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... An international Women's Commission (IWC) "for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in the Near East" was presented for the first time on international level at the European Parliament in Brussels on December 7. Comprising 20...

WORKING TIME: TRADE UNIONS ON STANDBY AS FATE OF OPT-OUT HANGS IN BALANCE.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... Reactions to the stalemate on the Working Time Directive from trade unions and industry were thin on the ground in the wake of the Employment and Social Affairs Council debate on December 8 that saw the UK Presidency inch towards brokering a...

TEN MEMBER STATES IN INFRINGEMENT OVER DRIVERS' WORKING TIME.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... The European Commission decide on December 13 to send reasoned opinions to ten member states for failure to submit reports on the national measures taken to implement the Directive on working time for road transport workers (Directive...

EU/ICELAND-NORWAY: PARLIAMENT RUBBER-STAMPS MOVE TO EXTEND ASYLUM PACT TO DENMARK.(Brief article)
December 17, 2005... A move to enable Denmark to apply two key pieces of EU asylum legislation has been approved by the European Parliament. In a non-binding opinion passed on December 13, MEPs agreed that Denmark should apply the 'Dublin' and 'Eurodac' Regulations...