European Social Policy articles from February 2008

European Social Policy archives from February 2008

STRUCTURAL FUNDS : BAN ON FINANCING HOUSING' EXPENSES FOR EU15 COULD BE RELAXED.
February 11, 2008... Good news for the 15 old' EU member states: some of their energy investments in housing could soon become eligible for funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). They are currently banned. But negotiations are underway with DG...

BULGARIA AND ROMANIA INVITED TO APPLY TRANSIT VISA WAIVER.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... People wishing to cross Bulgaria and Romania to visit other EU countries may soon no longer need to apply for a transit visa, following the endorsement of legislation addressing the issue by the European Parliament. The legislation invites...

HEALTH POLICY : COMMISSION TARGETS BERLIN OVER PHARMACY OWNERSHIP.(European Commission)
February 11, 2008... With Germany, the European Commission has extended the list of member states targeted due to rules on pharmacy ownership judged to be too restrictive for the freedom of establishment in the EU. Tactful on the matter, the EU executive sent a...

PUBLIC HEALTH : COMMISSION WANTS TO PROLONG TOBACCO FUND TILL 2009.
February 11, 2008... The European Commission proposed, on 4 February, to extend the Community Tobacco Fund till 2009 in order to continue its campaign against tobacco use. Following the reform in 2004, tobacco producing member states have committed to...

COMPANIES NEED NEGOTIATED EQUALITY PROGRAMMES, SAY MEPS.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Large companies should be compelled to draw up and implement negotiated equality programmes' in order to ensure that women receive fair treatment in the workplace, according to MEPs in a report adopted on 17 January. The programmes are...

CROSS-BORDER EMPLOYMENT : COMPETENT COURT COULD BE THE ONE IN EMPLOYEE'S HOME COUNTRY.
February 11, 2008... When a French employee works in Morocco for a British company, can he refer to a French labour court? When the employee previously worked for a French company which, in some way, freely transferred this employee to a British subsidiary within...

DIRECTOR OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AGENCY.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Parliament has now set a date for a hearing of candidates towards finally appointing a director for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The hearing will be held in Parliament's Civil Liberties committee on 11 February. There...

CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE : DRAFT DIRECTIVE IN LIMBO.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Despite what the European Commission announced in December, the postponement of the directive on patients' rights in cross-border health care is not due simply to a "heavy agenda".The Commission is more divided than ever over the text - which...

SOCIAL INCLUSION : EAPN WANTS TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL DIMENSION OF LISBON STRATEGY.(European Anti-Poverty Network's comments on the 2007 Lisbon Implementation Reports and the European Commission's Progress Report on growth and employment)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) is critical of the Lisbon Implementation Reports 2007 and the European Commission's Annual Progress Report on growth and employment. In its report of 16 January, it presents in particular a social...

PROTECTION AGAINST INSOLVENCY : ECJ RULES ON RIGHT TO COMPENSATION FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL.(European Union Court of Justice)
February 11, 2008... The EU Court of Justice handed down a ruling, on 17 January, on application of the directive of 20 October 1980, amended in 2002 (Directive 2002/74/CE), relating to the protection of employees in the event of insolvency of their employer, in...

LISBON STRATEGY : ECOFIN PREPARES ITS CONTRIBUTION TO SPRING ECONOMIC SUMMIT.(Economic and Financial Affairs Council)
February 11, 2008... The Slovenian EU Presidency, on 22 January, submited to Ecofin ministers the initial version of the Council's contribution to the forthcoming spring economic summit. The main points are as follows: Solid growth despite everything. While...

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS.(European Parliament's approval on the report on the dangers of electromagnetic fields on workers)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Parliament's Employment Committee approved, on 23 January, a report on workers' exposure to the risks arising from electromagnetic fields, drafted by Jan Anderson (PES, Sweden). The report postpones until 30 April 2012 the deadline...

EDUCATION : ENGLISH RECEIVING A BOOST FROM EU SCHOOLS PROGRAMME.(European Union)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... EU-funded school partnerships are contributing far more to improving pupils' knowledge of English than other languages, it has been revealed in an evaluation report presented by the European Commission on 24 January. The report assesses...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : EU27 LAUNCH FLEXICURITYaMISSION.
February 11, 2008... EU employment ministers decided, on 1 February, during their informal meeting in Brdo (Slovenia), to launch a "mission for flexicurity" to ensure the "full integration of the common principles of flexicurity into the EU", as defined in the...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : EU ASYLUM OFFICE RECEIVES BROAD BACKING.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The EU's interior ministers expressed broad support for the creation of a European support office for asylum policy at their informal meeting in Slovenia on 25 January. Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, present at the meeting,...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : FLEXICURITY IS INTEGRAL TO MEETING CHALLENGES.
February 11, 2008... Gathered in Brdo (Slovenia) on 31 January and 1 February, the EU's 27 employment and social affairs ministers confirmed their belief in flexicurity. "This principle is essential for Europe. Europe needs flexicurity if it wants to face the...

WORKING CONDITIONS : FOURTEEN COUNTRIES SINGLED OUT FOR EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION.
February 11, 2008... Fourteen member states have been ordered by the European Commission to do away with discriminatory provisions in their employment legislation. On 31 January, the EU executive sent reasoned opinions (second stage of infringement proceedings) to...

GLOBALISATION FUND/PORTUGAL.(European Commission approves government aid for Portugal)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Commission approved, on 30 January, Portugal's application for 2.4 million of assistance under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. The European Parliament and Council will now have to give their opinions. The Portuguese...

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FORECASTS : GROWTH COULD SLOW TO 1.9% IN 2008.
February 11, 2008... Evidence of an economic slowdown in the eurozone continues to mount. Beyond the perfunctory celebrations organised at La Valette to celebrate Malta's transition to the euro on 1 January, Jean-Claude Juncker took the opportunity to deliver his...

DIGITAL INCLUSION / EP : ICT SERVING SENIORS: PARLIAMENT SETS CONDITIONS.(European Parliament approves Ambient Assisted Living )
February 11, 2008... The Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) research programme appears to be sailing smoothly through the legislative process. After winning the overall support of the Council in late November, the proposal secured, on 24 January, the unanimous approval...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : LOW SALARIES AND RIGID MARKET ARE CONCERNS FOR SOCIAL STAKEHOLDERS.(Conference news)
February 11, 2008... As usual, representatives of NGOs and the social partners opened the Council of employment and social affairs ministers, meeting for an informal session in Brdo, from 31 January to 2 February. The troika (Slovenia, France and Czech Republic)...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : MEPS ATTACK 18 MONTH DETENTION LIMIT.(Members of the European Parliament)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Members of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament have expressed their desire to re-examine provisions, backed by the EP's Civil Liberties (LIBE) Committee, which would allow illegal immigrants to be interned by member states for up to...

WOMEN IN PRISON / EP : MEPS CALL FOR FRAMEWORK DECISION ON MINIMUM STANDARDS.
February 11, 2008... With its unanimous adoption on 28 January of an own-initiative report, the European Parliament Committee on Women's Rights aims to draw attention to the situation of women in prison, a small but growing minority. The committee calls for the...

SOCIAL POLICY : MEPS HIGHLIGHT WAYS TO PREPARE FOR DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE.(Members of the European Parliament)
February 11, 2008... Measures to prepare for demographic change should include guaranteed leave for parents, facilitated access to infertility treatment and adoption, and cutbacks in early retirement, say MEPs. An own-initiative report, drawn up by Francoise Castex...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : MINISTERS ADDRESSED FOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT FLEXICURITY.
February 11, 2008... Flexicurity was at the heart of the informal meeting of employment and social affairs ministers in Brdo (Slovenia), near Ljubljana, on 31 January and 1 February. Flexicurity' is about combining ease of hiring and firing (flexibility for...

NEW BRITISH LABOUR MINISTER.(James Purnell)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... James Purnell has been appointed Britain's new work and pensions secretary following the resignation of Peter Hain, who is at the centre of a scandal on the financing of his campaign to become the labour party's deputy prime minister. Up until...

SUPPLEMENTARY PENSIONS : NEW STUDIES SUPPORT COMMISSION'S ANALYSIS.
February 11, 2008... The European Commission presented, on 22 January, two studies confirming that "supplementary pension schemes continue to pose obstacles to mobility for workers across Europe". The first - by Hewitt Associates1 - analyses the rules for...

PETER VERTESSY/BUSINESSEUROPE.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Peter Vertessy is the new press officer at BUSINESSEUROPE, the organisation in Brussels which brings together the central confederations of industry from the EU and certain third countries. He has moved to Brussels from London where he gained...

PRESIDENCY'S SOCIAL PRIORITIES.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Addressing the European Parliament's Employment Committee, Marjeta Cotman, the Slovenian minister for labour, family and social affairs, presented the EU Presidency's main priorities. The very conventional programme did not create particular...

DISABLED : QUALITY OF INSTITUTIONAL CARE FOR DISABLED VARIES.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... 'Institutional care for disabled people in Europe continues to fall short of acceptable standards in many cases,' concludes a study published on 29 January by the European Commission. The study recommends wider use of quality community-based...

SOCIAL SECURITY : RETIRED PERSONS LIVING OUTSIDE THE EU HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS.(European Union)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The advocate-general of the EU Court of Justice has submitted the opinion that "when a worker resides outside the Community at the time when he reaches the age of retirement, Article 48 of Regulation 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 (social security...

ROMANIANS AND BULGARIANS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The Czech government is preparing to take a measure to limit the access of citizens from Bulgaria and Romania into their labour market. The necessary amendment was adopted by the House of Representatives on 29 January and is expected to be...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : ROME III: SWEDISH OPPOSITION NOT YET INSURMOUNTABLE.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The Slovenian presidency is pressing ahead with its efforts to secure agreement in Council on the proposed Rome III regulation, despite deep opposition expressed by Sweden, according to Justice Minister Lovro Sturm. Sturm, speaking at an...

SAFETY AT WORK.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Parliament adopted, on 15 January, an own-initiative report by Glenis Willmott (PES, UK) criticising the EU strategy for health and safety at work. In particular, Willmott would like objectives to be set for reducing occupational...

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AGENCY : SOCIAL INCLUSION AN OBJECTIVE FOR FRA.(Fundamental Rights Agency )
February 11, 2008... Extreme poverty and social exclusion should be placed clearly among the priorities for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), according to MEPs who voted amendments to its draft five-year work programme on 17 January. The programme, known...

SOCIAL INITIATIVES BEING PREPARED, SLOWLY.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Just this once it won't hurt! The European Commission is preparing several social initiatives. The legislative package on family leave - parental, maternity, filial - is also expected; only the first topic will be the subject of negotiations...

SOCIAL PARTNERS AND THE EURO.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Social partners and the Slovakian government signed, on 23 January in Bratislava, an agreement on introducing the euro. The aim is to support the changeover to the euro and make it a smooth transition. The introduction of the European currency...

SOCIAL SECURITY.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The European Parliament adopted, on 15 January, a report by Csaba Ory (EPP-ED, Hungary) aimed at approving the annual and ritual update of Regulation 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons and their families...

SOCIAL SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... A hearing held by the European Parliament Social Economy Intergroup, chaired by Anne Ferreira (PES, France), Jacques Toubon (EPP-ED, France), shadow rapporteur on the Services Directive, has highlighted the need for a sector-specific directive...

STRONG CALLS FOR NEW ROMA STRATEGY.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... A European Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion should be developed by the Commission, according to MEPs, who adopted a report on the matter on 31 January. Parliament's intention is that the strategy would be implemented by a new Roma unit set...

SOCIAL SERVICES IN GENERAL INTEREST : STUDY TO ESTABLISH THE LEGITIMACY OF POWER DELEGATION FOR SSGIS.(social services of general interest)
February 11, 2008... During its presentation in Brussels on 28 January of a study on social services of general interest (SSGI) in the internal market and the Treaty of Lisbon - co-published by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : SWEDISH OPPOSITION MAY SCUPPER EU DIVORCE LAW.
February 11, 2008... Sweden has made clear its strong opposition to proposals designed to make it easier for couples to choose which national law should apply to their divorce proceedings, in advance of discussions at the informal meeting of justice ministers on...

FREE MOVMENT OF PERSONS : SWISS MOVE CLOSER TO SCHENGEN.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The long process of getting Switzerland into Schengen has taken an important step forward, on 28 January, following a formal endorsement by the Council of Ministers. The international agreement, allowing the country to formally associate...

LISBON STRATEGY REVISION : UNION MUST BANK ON GROWTH, SAY MEPS.(Member of the European Parliament)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... MEPs from the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) believe that the Union must continue to enhance its growth potential, whereas the European economy could suffer the consequences of a strong slowdown in...

EDUCATION : VOCATIONAL TRAINING DOMINATES SLOVENE EDUCATION PRIORITIES.
February 11, 2008... Making progress on a European credit transfer system for vocational education and training (ECVET) is a major priority for the Slovenian EU Presidency, according to Education Minister Milan Zver. Speaking to MEPs during a visit to Brussels...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES / EP : WOMEN PAID LESS AND NOT HELD AS HIGHLY, SAYS COMMISSION.
February 11, 2008... "Women are continuing to drive employment growth in Europe, but remain disadvantaged on the labour market in relation to men." This is the main piece of information from a report on equality between men and women published on 23 January by the...