European Social Policy articles from February 2007

European Social Policy archives from February 2007

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION : COMMISSION LAUNCHES EUROPEAN YEAR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... In the run up to the ministerial meeting in Berlin on 30 January, where the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (EYEO) will be officially launched, Commissioner Vladimir Spidla commented in Brussels on 30 January on the actions to take...

EMPLOYMENT POLICY : GERMAN LAW ON PAYMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES MUST BE REVISED.
February 14, 2007... The Court of Justice of the European Communities has ruled against the German legislation on payment by member states to private-sector recruitment agencies (judgement of 11 January, C-208/05). In 2002, Germany introduced a legislation...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : MEDIA URGES EXCLUSION FROM ROME II ON EVE OF EP VOTE.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Publishers and journalists have made a last-minute plea with MEPs to exclude the media from the draft Rome II' Regulation on whose law to apply in cross-border, non-contractual legal disputes. Fearful of facing libel lawsuits in 27 member...

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT : NEW COMMITTEE PRESIDENTS AND VICE-PRESIDENTS ELECTED UNTIL 2009.(List)
February 14, 2007... The presidents and vice-presidents of the twenty committees and two sub-committees of the European Parliament were elected in a series of extraordinary meetings in Brussels on 31 January and 1 February. The elections follow the approval in...

STABILITY PROGRAMMES : RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FRANCE, GERMANY AND ITALY.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission will adopt on 23 January an initial set of recommendations for revision of the Convergence and Stability Programmes of eight member states (France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Denmark and...

INTERVIEW WITH ERNEST-ANTOINE SEILLIERE, PRESIDENT OF BUSINESSEUROPE : HEAD OF EUROPEAN EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION SOUNDS THE ALARM.(Interview)
February 14, 2007... French-born Ernest-Antoine Seilliere, President of BUSINESS-EUROPE, the Confederation of European Business, told Europolitics in an interview that "2009 would signal the fall of Europe" if no changes are made before then, clearly pointing to...

SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : A COMMUNICATION WITHOUTA PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE?
February 14, 2007... The communication on services of general interest which the president of the Commission, Jose-Manuel Barroso, promised to deliver to the Parliament before the end of 2006, is not expected to be ready before theaSpring European Council. It...

ACTIVE INCLUSION.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission has postponed to the latter half of this year the start-up of the second phase of its consultation on active inclusion'. The introduction of a minimum income or minimum social benefit in all European countries is one of...

HEALTH : ADVANCED THERAPIES STILL RAISE QUESTIONS.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... A centralised marketing authorisation procedure for advanced therapies in Europe is the "best way to ensure that patients have access to high-quality, safe and effective products," commented Andrea Rappagliosi, Chair of the Healthcare Council...

FIXED-TERM CONTRACTS : ADVOCATE-GENERAL: 1999 DIRECTIVE DOES NOT COVER PAY.
February 14, 2007... With the debate on quality of work and flexicurity' in full swing, the conclusions handed down by EU Court of Justice Advocate-General Miguel Poiares Maduro on the 1999 Directive on fixed term contracts (FTC) are well worth reading carefully....

ALCATEL - EMPLOYMENT.(Alcatel-Lucent)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Alcatel-Lucent, the telecoms company resulting from the merger of the French company Alcatel, and the US firm Lucent, has announced 1,500 job cuts in France as part of a worldwide job cutting operation to reduce numbers by 12,000 (mainly in...

FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS : BELGIUM AND AUSTRIA HAVE FAILED TO JUSTIFY FOREIGN STUDENT QUOTAS.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Belgium has found itself the target of infringement proceedings by the European Commission over its much-publicised decision to restrict the number of foreign medical students able to study in its universities. The law, passed on 13 June...

HEALTH : BERLIN HOPING FOR DOUBLE POLITICAL AGREEMENT ON HEALTH MATTERS.
February 14, 2007... Two health-related dossiers are expected to spur the German presidency of the EU into action: the proposal for a regulation on innovative therapy and the revision of the rules governing the marketing in Europe and the monitoring of medical...

CALL FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE PROPOSALS.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission has issued a call for proposals (VP/2007/001) covering actions in support of European social dialogue and improving expertise in the field of industrial relations. A two-stage budget of 12.78 million will be available....

SOCIAL SECURITY : CITIZENS' RIGHT TO HEALTH.
February 14, 2007... "An unjustified and disproportionate restriction to the principle of freedom to provide services." The conclusions handed down on 11 January by the Advocate-General of the EU Court of Justice, Damaso Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, are clear. The Greek...

DEMOGRAPHY : COHESION POLICY CAN HELP DEAL WITH DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
February 14, 2007... The European Structural Funds can co-finance investments to help the regions adapt to the challenges brought on by demographic change (ageing of the population, declining birth rate, etc). That was the message put across by two European...

FIXED-TERM CONTRACTS : COMMISSION AND SOCIAL PARTNERS DISPUTE ECJ OPINION.(European Commission and the European Court of Justice)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Contrary to the findings of the advocate-general in the Del Cerro Alonso case, the European Commission's Legal Service believes that the 1999 Directive on fixed-term contracts does cover pay. "The mere fact that the directive does not mention...

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION : COMMISSION LAUNCHES EUROPEAN YEAR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.(European Commission)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Commissioner Vladimir Spidla commented in Brussels, on 30 January, on the actions to take place throughout the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (EYEO), as well as on an EU survey on anti-discrimination. The existence of...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : COMMISSION MOBILISES FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.(European Commission)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Commissioners Franco Frattini (Freedom, Security and Justice) and Viviane Reding (Information Society and Media) took part in the international meeting on Missing and Exploited Children, held in Paris on 17 January. The two commissioners...

HEALTH : COMMISSION WANTS TO BAN SMOKING IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES.
February 14, 2007... The European Commission aims to convince the EU to follow in the steps of Ireland, which on 29 March 2004 became the first member state to implement a total ban on smoking in public places. Its Green Paper, published on 30 January, suggests a...

WORKERS' HEALTH AND SAFETY : COURT TO DEFINE EMPLOYER LIABILITY.
February 14, 2007... With the European Commission scheduled to present a new strategy on workers' health and safety on 21 February, the Court of Justice of the European Communities is going to have to decide on a key question: the employer's responsability. The...

DENISE SORASIO/EC.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Denise Sorasio has been appointed Director, Directorate B (ESF, Monitoring of Corresponding National Policies III) in the Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG. Sorasio is currently Director, Directorate D (Internal Security and...

SPRING SUMMIT : DRAFT JOINT REPORT ON SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION.
February 14, 2007... The Council of employment and social policy ministers will examine, on 22 February, the draft joint 2007 report on social protection and social inclusion, which will be presented at the spring European Summit on 8 and 9 March. This report is...

PENSIONS : ECJ BANS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NON-NATIONAL PENSION SCHEMES.(European Union Court of Justice)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The EU Court of Justice has ruled against Denmark's discriminatory tax legislation on life insurance and pensions. In its judgement in the European Commission versus Denmark case (30 January 2007, C-150/04), the Court held that by maintaining...

ECJ SLAMS GERMAN SICK PAY SCHEME.(European Union Court of Justice)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The EU Court of Justice has ruled that the German scheme for calculating daily sick pay, which discriminates against a migrant worker whose spouse resides in another member state, is an infringement of Regulation 1408/71 on the application of...

EUROPEAN YOUTH SUMMIT PREPARATIONS : EDUCATION, JOBS AND ENVIRONMENT ARE EU YOUTH'S TOP PRIORITIES.
February 14, 2007... Representatives from national youth councils and international youth NGOs from all over Europe met on 18-20 Jan to prepare for a special Youth Summit in Rome from 24-25 March. The event - part of the 50-year celebrations since the signing of...

RETIREMENT BENEFITS : EMPLOYEES LESS PROTECTED AGAINST AN EMPLOYER'S INSOLVENCY.
February 14, 2007... In its nuanced judgement, the EU Court of Justice recognises that member states themselves are not obliged to finance rights to old-age benefits under supplementary pension schemes in the event of the employer's insolvency. It also recognises...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL (BERLIN) : EMPLOYERS CALL FOR A MORATORIUM' ON LABOUR LAW.
February 14, 2007... During their meeting with ministers from the Troika' countries (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) and social partners before the informal Council of Employment and Social Policy Ministers, taking place in Berlin on 18 January, certain employers...

SOCIAL POLICY : EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE WORK GROUPS SET THEIR PRIORITIES.
February 14, 2007... Theaad hoc Employment Committee for the Council of ministers has defined its work programme for the year 2007. The group, which carries out the preparatory work for EU employment ministers, will follow the EU Presidency's priorities. ...

PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES : EP COMMITTEE APPROVES CODIFICATION OFaDIRECTIVE.(European Parliament)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament approved, on 29 January, the report by Diana Wallis (ALDE, United Kingdom) concerning the codification of directives on the protection of employees in the event of employers' insolvency....

ETF YEARBOOK 2006 - SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR POVERTY REDUCTION.(European Training Foundation)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 14, 2007... Much of the work presented in this publication is rooted in or developed further from the proceedings of the European Training Foundation's Advisory Forum triennial conference held in June 2006 in Turin, Italy. The ETF Yearbook has the dual aim...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : EU IMMIGRATION POLICY TAKES SHAPE.(European Union)
February 14, 2007... Meeting for an informal EU Justice and Home Affairs Council January 14-16 in Dresden, ministers have added more substance to the conclusions of the European Council of December 2006 concerning migration. These conclusions called for an overall...

YEAR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : "EUROPE'S STRENGTH IS ITS DIVERSITY," SAYS MINISTER VON DER LEYEN.(German Minister for Family Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen)
February 14, 2007... 2007, the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All,' was officially inaugurated at a press conference in Berlin on 30 and 31 January by German Minister for Family Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Commissioner for Employment,...

REPRESENTATION OF PERSONNEL : EXCLUDING YOUNG WORKERS WHEN CALCULATING STAFF NUMBERS IS ILLEGAL.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The EU Court of Justice has recommended the annulment of national legislation in France allowing the exclusion of workers under a certain age when calculating staff numbers (judgement of 18 January, C-385/05). This measure was introduced in...

NANOTECHNOLOGY : EXPERTS HIGHLIGHT NEED TO INVESTIGATE HEALTH RISKS.
February 14, 2007... The need to take further measures to ensure the safety of nanoparticles is one of the priorities outlined in an expert opinion on nanotechnology presented to the European Commission on 24 January. The opinion, which is focused on evaluating...

FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS : FOUR CHALLENGES AFTER YEAR OF WORKERS' MOBILITY.
February 14, 2007... Now that the European Year of Workers' Mobility is over, the European Commission has drawn up, in a report to be submitted to the 27 ministers for employment on 22 February, a very optimistic assessment of the initiatives taken over recent...

SOCIAL SECURITY : FRENCH SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCE DEEMED TO BE NON-EXPORTABLE.
February 14, 2007... A European citizen is not normally entitled to receive a supplementary allowance from the French Old-age Solidarity Fund if he is not resident in France, ruled the Court of Justice of the European Communities. The allowance, which features in...

HEALTH CARE ABROAD.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission has launched a new website on covering the costs of health care abroad. Its objective is to inform citizens about the conditions for meeting the financial costs of health care abroad through their national social...

HEALTH SERVICES.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The deadline for submitting opinions within the framework of the consultation on health services has been extended from 31 January to 12 February. This measure was taken to allow for a greater number of member states and interested parties to...

INTERVIEW WITH BERNADETTE VERGNAUD, EP RAPPORTEUR : HEALTH SERVICES: "A LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT IS NEEDED".(Interview)
February 14, 2007... Bernadette Vergnaud (PES, France) is rapporteur on health services for the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO). Her report on the impact and consequences of leaving health services out of the services...

SOCIAL ASSESSMENT : IS EUROPE A HAVEN OF SOCIAL WELL-BEING ?
February 14, 2007... "How can the social well-being of all Europe's citizens be best advanced within a globalising world?" This question will be at the heart of the communication on the social realities' of Europe, which the European Commission is due to adopt on...

HEALTH : KYPRIANOU TAKES THE FIGHT AGAINST TOBACCO INTO HOTEL ROOMS.(Markos Kyprianou)
February 14, 2007... "This is an important step for non-smoking areas," said Markos Kyprianou, as he presented, on 30 January, his Green Paper entitled Towards a Europe without tobacco smoke: strategy options at European Union level'. According to the health...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : LAW APPLICABLE IN DIVORCE CASES CAUSES A STIR IN PARLIAMENT.
February 14, 2007... The European Commission's proposal on the law applicable in divorce cases will not be getting an easy ride through the European Parliament. That became clear with the first exchange of views by the EP Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and...

YEAR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : LET'S SEE ACTION, NGOS TELL MEMBER STATES.(nongovernmental organizations)
February 14, 2007... During the Equality Summit, which will bring together EU officials, social partners and NGOs, the Social Platform - the alliance of representative European federations and networks of non-governmental organisations active in the social sector -...

IMMIGRATION : MALI, EU, FRANCE AND SPAIN LAUNCH MIGRATION CENTRE.
February 14, 2007... A new initiative, a centre for migration,' will be operational in Mali by the end of 2007. The aim is to facilitate legal immigration to Europe, while reducing illegal immigration. Is this an impossible challenge? Not according to the European...

SOCIAL POLICY : MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN SOCIAL STATISTICS BUT SHORTCOMINGS REMAIN.
February 14, 2007... European statistics on labour and the workforce have improved significantly over the past three years according to two reports published by the European Commission, but many difficulties still remain. Since the implementation of compulsory...

EDUCATION : MEMBER STATES MUST INTENSIFY REFORM, ADMITS COUNCIL.(Spring European Council)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Member states will need to make "more substantial efforts" than those displayed up to now if they are to achieve their education and training goals, according to the Council of Ministers, in a draft of key messages to be sent by ministers to...

GENDER EQUALITY : MEPS BLAST COMMISSION'S LACK OF LEGISLATIVE ACTION.(Members of European Parliament)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights called on the European Commission, on 24 January, to give its "road map for equality between women and men" a concrete dimension. Gender equality policy must be treated by the Commission "as...

ADVANCED THERAPIES : MEPS BREAK ETHICAL IMPASSE.(Medical condition overview)
February 14, 2007... Aareport by Miroslav Mikola ik (EPP, Slovakia) on advanced therapies, which are promising for the treatment of cancer, Parkinson's disease and burn patients, met with MEPs' approval on 30 January. The European Parliament's Environment and...

IMMIGRATION : MEPS CRITICAL OF CIRCULAR MIGRATION' CONCEPT.(Members of European Parliament)
February 14, 2007... The fashionable concept of circular migration', which is one of the three cornerstones of the EU's immigration strategy, was criticised on 30 January during a public hearing at the European Parliament. At first sight, the idea of allowing...

GENDER EQUALITY : MEPS POINT TO EDUCATIONAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST YOUNG WOMEN.(Members of European Parliament)
February 14, 2007... "Education and training of girls and women is a human right and an essential element for the full enjoyment of all other social, economic, cultural and political rights," says the European Parliament in an own-initiative report drafted by Vera...

HEALTH : MEPS REJECT BINDING MEASURES ON OBESITY.
February 14, 2007... The own-initiative report by Frederique Ries (ALDE, Belgium) on healthy diets and physical exercise, which was easily adopted on 1 February in plenary session in the European Parliament, does not venture off the beaten track. For now, the...

SPRING EUROPEAN COUNCIL : MINISTERS TO DRAFT KEY MESSAGES EU LEADERS.(European Union)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will examine, on 22 February, the key messages to the Spring European Summit on 8 March. An initial draft - drawn up by the Council's Employment and Social Protection Committees...

HEALTH : MIXED REACTIONS TO GREEN PAPER ON A SMOKE-FREE EUROPE.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The pressure created by the Green Paper of 30 January to ban smoking in enclosed or semi-enclosed public places, with no exceptions for restaurants and bars, is welcomed by anti-smoking associations such as the Smoke Free Partnership, which...

EDUCATION : NEW QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK A PRIORITY FOR THE PRESIDENCY.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission's proposals to create a European Qualifications Framework were identified as a priority for the German EU Presidency, during an exchange of views with members of the European Parliament's Education and Culture Committee...

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION : NGOS LAUNCH PETITION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE DISABLED.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... "We want a discrimination-free Europe and we are fighting for it." It was with these words that Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum (EDF), opened the official launch of the 1million4disability' campaign in Brussels...

SOCIAL SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : PARLIAMENT STRUGGLES TO REACH A COMPROMISE.(European Parliament)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The discussion on social services of general interest (SSGI) in the European Parliament's Employment Committee promises to be more difficult than originally expected. The adoption of the report byaJoel Hasse Ferreira (PES, Portugal), originally...

PETER LINDVALD-NIELSEN/EESC.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Peter Lindvald-Nielsen has been appointed Head of Communication at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Lindvald-Nielsen joins the EESC from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication. He has served previously...

SOCIAL POLICY : PHILOSOPHY AND PRIORITIES OF THE GERMAN PRESIDENCY.
February 14, 2007... "Joining forces for a social Europe - for a social world" is the heading under which the German Presidency of the European Union has grouped its priorities for the first six months of 2007. These priorities were presented by Franz Muntefering,...

IMMIGRATION : PRESIDENCY PLANS TO SET UP NETWORK OF EDUCATION SPONSORS'.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... In preparation for the special ministerial meeting on immigration in Potsdam on 10 and 11 May, the German government is getting ready to set up a network of education sponsors' to help young immigrants. The project is one of a number of...

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES : PRESIDENCY TO QUESTION MINISTERS.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Demographic changes will again feature on the agenda of the Council of Employment and Social policy ministers on 22 February, with the main aim being to definine the key questions of the debate and to prepare forthe Spring summit. Eight...

PENSIONS : PROGRESS ON PORTABILITY OF PENSIONS IN THE OFFING.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Speaking at the informal Employment Council in Berlin on 18 and 19 January, Germany's Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Franz Muntefering described the portability of pensions as "a useful mechanism". It now seems likely that...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL (BERLIN) : QUALITY WORK, ADEQUATE SALARIES, NO MORATORIUM.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... "Europe has to step up common efforts to promote quality work," states a joint declaration drawn up by the German Presidency of the EU in cooperation' with the next two Presidencies (Portugal and Slovenia) following the informal Employment and...

RESEARCH ON INCLUSION.(Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion )(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... A British organisation, the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (www.cesi.org.uk), will be launching a research project under the EU EQUAL programme to identify the employment, apprenticeship and training services that can help the...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL (BERLIN) : SOCIAL ADDENDUM TO NEW CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY PROVING DIFFICULT.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The discussion about a social Europe' seems to have begun. During the informal meeting of ministers for employment and social affairs in Berlin from 18 to 20 January, Franz Muntefering clarified the view held by the German EU Presidency on...

YEAR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : SOCIAL PARTNERS SAY THEIR DIALOGUE HAS NEW MOMENTUM.
February 14, 2007... The European social partners - ETUC (unions), BusinessEurope (private employers), UEAPME (SMEs) and CEEP (public employers) - will be presenting, on 30 January in Berlin, for the launch of the European Year of Equal Opportunity for All, a...

SOCIAL SECURITY.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The social questions group at the EU Council should devote part of its meeting of 13 February to examining an Austrian proposal aimed at integrating into the social security' regulations all of the Kohll and Decker' judgements on cross-border...

SOCIALVALENTINE'S DAY!(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... They like social Europe and they are not scared to say so. In a relatively rare event, so much so that it deserves a mention, members of the "old" and "new'' Europe met in Paris on 14 February.aEight labour ministers (from Belgium, Bulgaria,...

COHESION POLICY : SOME STATES ARE FALLING BEHIND THE OFFICIAL CALENDAR.
February 14, 2007... The real launch of the cohesion policy for 2007-2013 might be delayed, Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hubner told members of the EP Regional Development Committee, on 1 February in Brussels. The adoption of the national strategic reference...

SOCIAL CONFLICT : SPECIFIC RULE IN ROME II TO APPLY TO STRIKE ACTION.
February 14, 2007... Determining the law applicable to liability in cases of industrial action may be subject to a specific rule, to be included in the future Rome II Regulation (law applicable to non-contractual obligations), if the Council confirms its common...

GLOBALISATION ADJUSTMENT FUND : THREE COUNTRIES PUT FINISHING TOUCHES TO INTERVENTION REQUEST.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... While no requests for intervention by the brand new Globalisation Adjustment Fund have been received by the European Commission, three countries, or even four, are actively preparing a case. France, a loyal defender of the Fund, already...

HEALTH CARE : THREE MINISTERS SUPPORT A MORATORIUM ON LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
February 14, 2007... The social affairs ministers of Belgium, Luxembourg and France reiterated, on 26 January, at a conference in Brussels on health care, their conviction that legislation is needed. Given the risk of seeing attacks on national health care systems...

RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA : THREE QUESTIONS FOR SOCIALIST MEP MARTINE ROURE.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... You have just been appointed rapporteur on the framework decision relating to racism and xenophobia. Why is this text important, in your opinion? This framework decision is essential. It is unacceptable that negationists or people with...

PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN : TOWARDS A EUROPEAN STRATEGY: WORDS OR CONCRETE ACTIONS?
February 14, 2007... The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament held an exchange of views', on 24 January, on the strategy on the rights of children. The Parliament wants to make progress on a subject which is dear to...

TRADE UNION TRAINING.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission has issued a call for proposals (VP/2007/002) for 'information and training measures for workers' organisations'. Part of the funds are earmarked for actions 'involving representatives of workers' organisations in the...

HEALTH SERVICES : UK HEALTH CARE REGULATORS SEEK TO ENSURE PATIENT SAFETY.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The UK's health care regulators call on the European Commission to propose a new legal duty on bodies with similar roles across Europe to exchange disciplinary and registration information about health care professionals and to act on it. This...

WORKING CONDITIONS : UNIONS IDENTIFY THREATS TO JOBS FOR EU SEAFARERS.
February 14, 2007... In its response to the Green Paper on a future EU maritime policy, the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) is calling on the European Commission to tackle the phenomenon of second registers,' which exist in the majority of member...

WORKING TIME.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The European Commission, in the week of 15 January, addressed letters to around twenty EU member states asking for explanations on respect for the case law of the EU Court of Justice concerning stand-by time (Case Simap-Jaeger) and compensatory...

WORKING TIME.(transport workers' work hours)(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The French version of Directive 2002/15/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2002 on the organisation of the working time of persons performing mobilearoad transport activities needs to be corrected. A factual error has...

YOUNG EUROPEAN SOCIAL PARTNERS.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... A joint declaration has been published by the Young Entrepreneurs (YES) for Europe association and the Youth Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), setting out their views on "challenges and perspectives" for the future as...

YOUTH : YOUNG PEOPLE MISSING OUT ON LISBON, ACCORDING TO COUNCIL.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The Lisbon Strategy needs a more visible youth dimension,' according to ministers, in a set of key messages' expected to be adopted prior to the Spring European Council meeting in March. The messages, to be adopted at the meeting of the...