European Social Policy articles from December 2007

European Social Policy archives from December 2007

BARROSO GETS MANDATE TO SIGN CHARTER.(European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso empowered to sign the Charter of Fundamental Rights)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... On 5 December, the European commissioners unanimously adopted a document empowering their president, Jose Manuel Barroso, to go and sign the Charter of Fundamental Rights on 12 December at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. On that day,...

CEMR ON PUBLIC SERVICES.(Council of European Municipalities and Regions)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Local and regional authorities are contesting the position on public services taken by the European Commission on 20 November (see Europolitics 3415 and 3418). "We are still very unhappy with the Commission's approach to local and regional...

CROSS-BORDER HEADACHES.(European Commission's cross-border health care proposal)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Even if the European Commission does not manage to come forward with its proposal for an EU legislative framework for cross-border health care in time for its 19 December meeting - although the item is already on the agenda - the text is...

DECISION ON CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE POSTPONED AGAIN.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The proposal for a directive on cross-border health care (patient mobility) has, again, been postponed (see Europolitics 3415). Originally scheduled for November, the decision is now on the European Commission's agenda of 19 December. The case,...

EDF WELCOMES ICT ACCESS PLAN.(European Disability Forum accepts the European Commission's information and communication technologies plan)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Disability Forum (EDF) welcomed the European Commission's action plan for accessibility to information and communication technologies (ICT) for all. The plan was presented by European Commissioner for Information Society Viviane...

STRUCTURAL FUNDS IN LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hubner, visited the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon on 4 December. She was to officially sign the operational programme for the investment of Community Structural Funds in this region,...

STRUCTURAL FUNDS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission announced, on 5 December, the adoption of eight Czech operational programmes for the 2007-2013 Cohesion Policy. In total, these eight programmes represent an investment of more the 7.6 billion from the European Regional...

ACTION TO COUNTER OBESITY : EU HEALTH MINISTERS BACK REFORMULATION OF FOODS AND LABELLING.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The EU's 27 health ministers have retained, besides targeted campaigns, a series of more concrete actions to curb the increase in obesity within the EU in their Health Council conclusions of 6 December. For example: the reformulation of foods...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS / SUSPENDED SENTENCES : EU27 LEFT WITH WIDE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE AFTER COUNCIL DEAL.
December 12, 2007... Member states have reached agreement on the key elements of new EU legislation designed to make it easier for people who have been convicted of a crime in one member state to be transferred back to the EU country where they normally live. ...

A CLUMSY POLITICAL GESTURE.(controversy regarding the European Commission's policy on services of general interest)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Though there were high expectations, the European Commission's communication on services of general interest (SGI) ultimately leaves a bitter taste. The Barroso Commission has decided to close the debatea- at least for the momenta- with the...

SOCIAL INTEGRATION : ACTIONS IN FIVE AREAS FOR THE DISABLED IN 2008-2009.
December 12, 2007... The European Commission presented, on 3 December (the International Day of Disabled Persons), a European Action Plan for the Disabled for 2008-2009. The plan draws on and puts into practice the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons...

AID FOR POST OFFICE LTD APPROVED.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission cleared, under the EC Treaty's rules on state aid, [pounds sterling]634 million (884 million) of public funding for the UK's network of post offices Post Office Ltd (a subsidiary of Royal Mail, the UK's main postal...

ANDREA BENASSI/UEAPME.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The General Assembly of UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, unanimously elected Andrea Benassi as new secretary-general on 8 November. Benassi is currently director for European integration and foreign markets at the...

UNIVERSITIES / QUOTAS : BELGIUM AND AUSTRIA CAN KEEP QUOTAS AGAINST FOREIGN STUDENTS.
December 12, 2007... Formal confirmation has been given by the European Commission that both Austria and Belgium will be allowed to continue to apply measures which restrict foreign students' access to their universities, at least for the next five years. The...

LISBON STRATEGY / EMPLOYERS : BERLIN AND ROME HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH TO REFORM LABOUR MARKETS.
December 12, 2007... The EU should not adjust the existing integrated guidelines used to focus member states' reforms under the Lisbon Strategy, according to BusinessEurope, which presented its position on action needed under the 2008-2010 Lisbon cycle at a press...

EDUCATION, YOUTH AND CULTURE COUNCIL : CHANGES TO ERASMUS MUNDUS AGREED.
December 12, 2007... EU education ministers have reached a general agreement on how the Erasmus Mundus programme should work in the period 2009-2013. Ministers, meeting at the Education, Youth and Culture Council on 15 November, agreed on several changes that...

SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : CLARIFICATIONS ON STATE AID AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT.
December 12, 2007... The European Commission published on 20 November two working papers that provide valuable information on application of Community rules on state aid for services of general economic interest (SGEI), on the one hand, and on public procurement...

PUBLIC HEALTH / DRUGS : COCAINE USE GROWING, CANNABIS AND HEROIN STABLE.
December 12, 2007... Though the use of cannabis and heroin has remained stable in the EU for the first time in ten years, cocaine use continues to increase, according to the 2007 annual report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction...

SOCIAL POLICY : COMMISSION CLARIFIES SOCIAL VISION FOR EUROPE.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission adopted, on 19 November, in parallel with its communication on the internal market, a communication presenting "a new social vision for the Europe of the 21st century: opportunities, access and solidarity". In line with...

ASYLUM : COMMISSION EXPLAINS ITS STANCE ON ASYLUM RECEPTION CONDITIONS.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission has provided further explanation of its assessment that member states have, in general, satisfactorily implemented the 2003 EU directive on the reception of asylum seekers (Reception Conditions Directive), despite the...

FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS : COMMISSION PRESENTS ACTION PLAN FOR JOB MOBILITY.
December 12, 2007... The European Commission presented, on 10 December, a new action plan to promote job mobility in Europe by tackling the obstacles still faced by people seeking work in another EU country. The plan outlines a new integrated approach and lists 15...

SOCIAL SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : COMMISSION RECYCLES OLD PROJECTS.(European Commission)
December 12, 2007... Never had the European Commission shown such a low profile on social services of general interest (SSGI) as in a meeting on 20 November. Far from the ambitions announced in Lisbon in September by the European Commissioner for Employment, Social...

SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : COMMISSION SET TO SHELVE IDEA OF SEPARATE SGI FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE.(European Commission)
December 12, 2007... European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has made his decision. On 20 November, the Commission adopted, together with a communication reviewing the Single Market, a second communication on services of general interest (SGI) and social...

HEALTH : COMMISSION TO PRESENT NEW PROPOSAL ON CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE.
December 12, 2007... Now planned for adoption by the College of Commissioners on 19 December, the proposal for a directive on safe, high-quality and efficient cross-border health care has been slightly revised since it was first presented by the European...

WORKING CONDITIONS : COMPROMISE TAKING SHAPE ON TEMPORARY WORK DIRECTIVE.
December 12, 2007... The proposal for a directive on temporary work, which was widely thought to have been shelved, is now back on the table Since its last examination in June 2003, the proposal has been altered a little, to the satisfaction, it seems, of a large...

CONSOLIDATED VERSION OF TREATY TEXTS.(Treaties of the European Union)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... A consolidated (unofficial) version of the new EU Treaties (Rome and Maastricht) as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon has just been published in English by the Dublin European Institute, edited by Peadar o Broin, and in French by the Centre...

SOCIAL SECURITY : COUNCIL APPROVES UNEMPLOYMENT' AND FAMILY BENEFITS' CHAPTERS.(Employment and Social Policy Council)
December 12, 2007... The Employment and Social Policy Council reached partial agreement, on 5 December, on two new chapters of the regulation implementing Regulation 883/04 on the coordination of social security systems. The new chapters are Unemployment' and...

FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY / EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON WOMEN AND POVERTY.(Council of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The Council of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers, on 5-6 December, approved conclusions on The review of implementation by the member states and the EU institutions of the Beijing Platform for Action' on women and poverty. Its...

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : COURT BACKS GERMAN JOURNALIST TILLACK IN EU FRAUD CASE.(Hans-Martin Tillack)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Hans-Martin Tillack can savour his victory. This investigative journalist from the German magazine Stern, who was accused in 2004 of bribing European Commission civil servants to obtain confidential information before being searched by Belgian...

INTERNAL MARKET / SOCIAL BENEFITS : COURT DISMISSES PUBLIC PROCUREMENT INFRINGEMENT PROCEEDINGS.(European Union Court of Justice)
December 12, 2007... The judgement handed down by the EU Court of Justice in the case opposing the European Commission and the Irish Postal Services will be read with attention particularly given the topicality of services of general interest within the framework...

DIRECTIVE ON SECONDMENT OF WORKERS CORRECTED.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... More than ten years after its publication in the EU's Official Journal, an error has just been corrected in Directive 96/71 of 16 December 1996 on the secondment of workers (OJ of 20 November). Therefore, the possibility for member states to...

DRAWINGS EXPLORE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... More than 10,000 children aged eight to ten, from the four corners of the world, participated in a drawing competition on the theme of gender equality, launched by the European Commission on 8 March 2007, on the occasion of International...

PART-TIME WORK : ECJ: LESS PAY FOR OVERTIME IS DISCRIMINATORY.(European Court of Justice)
December 12, 2007... A judgement handed down recently by the European Court of Justice will mean that certain member states will have to review their overtime legislation. According to the court, 'national legislation which remunerates ( ) additional hours at a...

FLEXICURITY : EIGHT COMMON PRINCIPLES SUBMITTED TO MINISTERS FOR APPROVAL.
December 12, 2007... The Employment and Social Policy Council approved, on 5 December, common principles on flexicurity. A joint opinion of the European Union's Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee outlines the main points, summing up earlier...

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION : EIGHT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON INCLUSION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES.
December 12, 2007... An independent high level advisory group of experts on ethnic minorities presented, on 3 December, eight policy recommendations to the European Commission. According to Commissioner for Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla and Rita Sussmuth, the...

JOB VACANCIES : EP ADOPTS REGULATION TO IMPROVE STATISTICS.
December 12, 2007... The European Parliament adopted, on 15 November, a report by Alexandru Athanasiu (PES, Romania) on the regulation on quarterly statistics on Community job vacancies. This text aims to remedy the lack of reliable national data on vacant...

AGE DISCRIMINATION / EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : EP INTERGROUP CALLS FOR COMBATING AGE DISCRIMINATION.(European Parliament's Intergroup on Ageing)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Parliament's Intergroup on Ageing, meeting on 13 November in Strasbourg, called on the member states to make a clear commitment to fully implement the Employment Directive with regard to age and it also urged the European...

ESF PROGRAMME IN SLOVENIA.(European Social Fund)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission approved, on 26 November, the Slovenian programme for a higher skilled workforce. Receiving 755 million in EU funding through the European Social Fund (ESF), the programme aims to give people the qualifications they need...

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION : ETHNIC STATISTICS A POSSIBILITY, NOT AN OBLIGATION.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Following the annulment by the Constitutional Council of France of the possibility, established in immigration law, of authorising the collection of statistical data on the ethnic origins of people living in France (annulment decided on 15...

SUSPENDED SENTENCES / JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : EU27 LEFT WITH WIDE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE AFTER COUNCIL DEAL.
December 12, 2007... Member states have reached agreement on the key elements of new EU legislation designed to make it easier for people who have been convicted of a crime in one member state to be transferred back to the EU country where they normally live. ...

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION : EU27 TO BACK MOVE TO CRIMINALISE EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL WORKERS.
December 12, 2007... Support will be given by EU heads of state and government to the Commission's proposal for a law setting out member states' obligations regarding the punishment of businesses which employ illegal immigrants, according to a set of draft...

IMMIGRATION : EU BLUE CARD' COULD WORSEN BRAIN DRAIN.(European Union)
December 12, 2007... One of the most high-profile measures proposed by the European Commission in recent months has been its plan to set up a blue card' scheme to attract highly skilled workers to the EU. The blue card programme, once created, would have the...

FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY : EU HEALTH MINISTERS BACK REFORMULATION OF FOODS AND LABELLING.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The EU's 27 health ministers have retained, besides targeted campaigns, a series of more concrete actions to curb the increase in obesity within the EU in their Health Council conclusions of 6 December. For example: the reformulation of foods...

PENSION FUNDS : EU PROBES PENSION GUARANTEES FOR BT.
December 12, 2007... The European Commission wants to determine whether exemptions which UK telecommunications operator BT Group PLC's pension system benefits from constitute state aid and, if so, whether such aid could be found compatible under EC Treaty state aid...

EUROPEAN QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK AGREED.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Political agreement was reached by ministers on the future European Qualifications Framework (EQF), on 15 November, at the meeting of the Education Council. The EQF will be an EU-wide reference tool, enabling people's qualifications to be...

EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND IN GREECE.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission announced on 22 November its approval for four Greek operational programmes to promote employment, training and social inclusion, which will be funded by the European Social Fund during the 2007-2013 period. The EU will...

SOCIAL EXCLUSION : EUROPE LOSING THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY, MEP WARNS.(Member of the European Parliament Liz Lynne )(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... European countries must do much more to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion and share best practice more effectively if we are to beat poverty and tackle social exclusion, according to a report, adopted on 15 November by...

INTERVIEW WITH RAINER PLASMAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CEEP : EUROPE MUST HELP SGIS, NOT BURDEN THEM MORE.(Interview)
December 12, 2007... Rainer Plasman, secretary-general of the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) shares his views on services of general interest (SGI) with Europolitics. Do you still...

HEALTH COUNCIL : EU TO TAKE UP CHALLENGE OF ORGAN DONATION SHORTAGE.(European Union)
December 12, 2007... Meeting in Council on 6 December in Brussels, the 27 health ministers tackled the tough issue of the shortage of organ donors in the Union. "We need to develop mechanisms that are adapted to this new situation and to work on the legal aspects...

DRUGS : EU URGED TO CONSOLIDATE ITS ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS.(European Union)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The EU must not relax its efforts in the fight against drug trafficking even though it has been placed top among world actors in this field. This is the conclusion that can be discerned from the Commission's annual report on the implementation...

PUBLIC HEALTH : FIGHT AGAINST ASTHMA: EU NEGLECTS PATIENTS AND MEDICINES.(European Union)
December 12, 2007... Despite limited competences in the area of public health, the European Union plays a considerable role in the treatment if asthma (of which the fundamental cause remains unknown), particularly through its medicines agency (EMEA), based in...

SOCIAL SITUATION : FIRST POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS PLANNED FOR 2011.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted, on 21 November, a proposal to establish a census for collecting data on population and housing in the EU (24 votes in favour, two against and seven abstentions)....

ASYLUM : FLAWS IDENTIFIED IN MEMBER STATES' TREATMENT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS.
December 12, 2007... Problems have been revealed in the way that member states implement EU-wide rules on minimum standards for the treatment of asylum seekers, in a European Commission evaluation report published on 26 November. The report concerns a 2003...

FLEXICURITY IN THE NETHERLANDS.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The governing coalition in the Netherlands, which includes Christian Democrats and Social Democrats (CDA, ChristenUnie, PvDA), has dropped plans to reform rules for laying off workers. As a result, employers' organisations, which had made more...

TREATY OF LISBON : FOUR SMALL' CHANGES, INCLUDING A CZECH CHARTER DECLARATION.
December 12, 2007... The version of the Treaty of Lisbon released by the Portuguese EU Presidency on 3 December apparently is identical to the political agreement reached by the 27 member states on 19 October in Lisbon but for a few details. Several...

ASYLUM : FRATTINI SLAMS MEMBER STATES' POOR ADOPTION OF ASYLUM DIRECTIVE.(Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... EU legislation designed to ensure common basic rights for asylum seekers across the Union has only been properly implemented in six member states, according to details published by the European Commission on 3 December. Only Bulgaria,...

SERVICES DIRECTIVE : GEBHARDT " SHOCKED " BY DG MARKT'S ANALYSIS.(member of European Parliament Evelyne Gebhardt)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... MEP Evelyne Gebhardt (PES, Germany) was the rapporteur on the Services Directive. What are your first impressions of the handbook by DG Internal Market and Services? Firstly, allow me to say that I only received the document, in...

SUPPLEMENTARY PENSION RIGHTS : GERMANY OPPOSED TO ANOTHER COMPROMISE ON THE DIRECTIVE.(community worker's pension)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The EU's 27 employment and social affairs ministers failed to reach an agreement on a directive setting community workers' rights to a supplementary pension, despite a new, more flexible proposal from the Commission (scrapping transferability)....

JOINT EMPLOYMENT - JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : GERMANY STATES RESERVATIONS REGARDING SANCTIONS ON EMPLOYERS.
December 12, 2007... The expression of concerns by Germany regarding proposals, from the European Commission, for sanctions against employers of illegal immigrants, was one of the main points to emerge from the joint meeting of interior and labour ministers at the...

SOCIAL COHESION : GROWTH AND JOBS STRATEGY IS NOT A LONG-TERM VISION, SAYS NGO.(report by Social Platform)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The Social Platform's annual conference discussed, on 26 November, the EU's priorities after 2010, the deadline for the so-called Lisbon agenda. According to Claire Roumet, vice-president of the Social Platform, the growth and jobs strategy is...

SUPPORT FOR THE ELDERLY / COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL : ICT FOR SENIORS PROGRAMME RECEIVES GLOBAL SUPPORT.(information and communication technologies)
December 12, 2007... Gathered at the Competitiveness Council on 23 November, the EU's ministers for research easily drafted general guidelines"'(core elements of the legal act) regarding the proposal for a decision on EU participation in the Ambient Assisted...

IMMIGRATION IN THE NETHERLANDS.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... After opening the borders to nationals of East European countries, there are 100,000 Polish workers in the Netherlands, according to a report from Dutch Minister of Social Affairs Piet Hein Donner. This is far more than was estimated when the...

IRELAND IN COURT OVER DRIVER TRAINING.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission decided, on 28 November, to launch proceedings at the EU Court of Justice against Ireland for failing to transpose Directive 2003/59/EC on the training of professional drivers. This directive provides for compulsory...

ITALY'S REGIONAL AID MAP APPROVED.(regional investment rules)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission, on 28 November, approved the regional aid map for Italy for the 2007-2013 period. The map defines the regions in Italy eligible for national regional investment aid for large enterprises under EC Treaty state aid rules...

EMPLOYMENT : JOBS FOR YOUTHS A KEY OBJECTIVE.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The European Commission presented, on 26 November, its annual report on the employment situation in the European Union. Five facts in particular are highlighted this year: - The strength of the recovery observed in the EU labour market in...

KATERINA BATZELI/EP.(Committe on Culture and Education)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Katerina Batzeli (PES, Greece) has been elected the new chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament. Batzeli replaces Nikolaos Sifunakis (PES, Greece), who was elected to the Greek Parliament in September.

FLEXICURITY - COMMENTARY : MATCHING WORDS AND ACTIONS.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Reaching an agreement on a set of common principles for flexicurity is quite simple. Implementing these principles in practice is a more delicate business. The texts on the table in Council were important. Isn't facilitating the calculation of...

HEALTH COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES READY TO BETTER COORDINATE HEALTH ACTIONS.
December 12, 2007... The 27 member states are ready to better coordinate their health policies at European level, but also want to avoid creating new structures in the field. "We all want to stick with the existing structures," said Portuguese Health Minister...

GENDER EQUALITY / EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES SEEK IMPROVEMENTS TO LEGAL FRAMEWORK.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The EU's employment and social policy ministers, meeting in Council on 5 December, approved conclusions on ensuring balanced roles for women and men for jobs, growth and social cohesion. The 27 ministers asked the European Commission to...

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION : MEPS CENSURE FRATTINI OVER ROMA COMMENTS.(members of European Parliament; Franco Frattini)
December 12, 2007... Strong criticism has been made of recent statements by Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini concerning the situation of Roma immigrants in Italy in a political resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 15 November. The resolution,...

WORKING CONDITIONS : MEPS ENDORSE TEN BALANCED PRINCIPLES' OF FLEXICURITY.
December 12, 2007... The European Parliament asked, on 29 November, that the European Council of 13 and 14 December this year adopt "a more balanced series of flexicurity principles". In a report written by Ole Christensen (PES, Denmark) and adopted by a large...

GENDER EQUALITY : MEPS SUPPORT ZERO TOLERANCE' ON HARASSMENT AT WORK.(members of European Parliament)
December 12, 2007... In a hearing on 21 November organised by the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights, experts wanted to evaluate the implementation of Directive 2002/73/EC on equality between men and women, which gives a definition of harassment and...

IMMIGRATION / HEALTH : MIGRANTS' HEALTH PROBLEMS IN FOCUS.
December 12, 2007... The Health Council on 6 December in Brussels looked into the inclusion of health and migration issues in Community and national policies, one of the key themes of the Portuguese EU Presidency. The 27 stressed the need for the specific problems...

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION / EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : MINISTERS RESOLVE TO PROMOTE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... A 24-point resolution in follow-up to the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007) was adopted by the Council of ministers of employment and social policy on 5 December. The 27 ministers note that "despite all the progress achieved...

EDUCATION AND YOUTH COUNCIL : MINISTERS WANT BETTER TOOLS TO PREDICT SKILLS SHORTAGES.
December 12, 2007... Policy makers need to have better information at their disposal to predict the future skills requirements of the labour market, according to EU education ministers, who adopted a resolution on the subject on 15 November. The resolution...

SOCIAL EXCLUSION : MINISTERS WANT TO MAKE SOCIAL INCLUSION MORE VISIBLE.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... The Council of employment and social policy ministers approved, on 5 December, conclusions to promote the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market. "Social inclusion of people furthest from the labour market is not only...

NEW APPOINTMENTS/EP.(Krzysztof Holowczyc and Urszula Gacek joins European Parliament)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... As a result of the formation of a new government on 16 November in Poland, Krzysztof Holowczyc and Urszula Gacek are joining the European Parliament. Holowczyc will replace Barbara Kudrycka (EPP-ED), who became Poland's new science and higher...

HEALTH SERVICES : NEW DIRECTIVE MUST SERVE PATIENTS' INTERESTS, SAYS MEP.(members of European Parliament)(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... In view of the upcoming proposal for an EU directive on health services (on the agenda of the European Commission on 19 December, MEP Andreas Schwab (EPP-ED, Germany), vice-coordinator on the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee, has...

EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : NO DEAL ON WORKING TIME OR TEMPORARY AGENCY WORK.
December 12, 2007... In spite of considerable effort and intense bilateral consultations, the 27 member states failed again, on 5 December, to reach agreement on the Working Time and Temporary Agency Work Directives. It was not for want of trying, though. The...

CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : PARLIAMENT GIVES MASS SUPPORT TO CHARTER'S APPROVAL.(Treaty of Lisbon)
December 12, 2007... The European Parliament adopted, on 29 November in Brussels, a report by Jo Leinen (PES, Germany) which advocates the new version of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The vote was 534 in favour, 85 against and 21 abstentions. Through this...

PUBLIC HEALTH : PETITION FOR ACTION ON CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASES.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... MEP Catherine Stihler (PES, United Kingdom) launched a petition on 14 November in support of European action to combat chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). This term is used to describe chronic lung diseases, including chronic...

WORKING CONDITIONS : PETITION SEEKS TO SECURE MINIMUM INCOME FOR INTERNS.(Brief article)
December 12, 2007... Several prominent trade unionists and politicians pleaded, on 21 November in Brussels, for interns in EU member states to receive a minimum income. A petition was launched at the end of a conference sponsored by the European Parliament's...

CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : POLAND TO STICK TO ITS OPT-OUT.
December 12, 2007... Although the new Polish government does not object to the full incorporation of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights into the draft Lisbon Treaty, it would most probably seek to maintain a protocol, which limits the scope of the charter. The...

IMMIGRATION : POLICY PAPER SETS OUT KEY POINTS ON MIGRATION FOR EU LEADERS.(European Union)
December 12, 2007... Priorities for action for the further development of EU immigration policy have been presented by the European Commission in a policy paper adopted on 5 December. The paper is intended to stimulate discussion between heads of state and...