European Social Policy articles from July 2007

European Social Policy archives from July 2007

GDP : GDP PER INHABITANT VARIES WIDELY ACROSS EU27.(gross domestic product)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Based on first preliminary estimates for 2006, gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) varied from 37% to 280% of the average across the 27 EU member states, Eurostat reported on 28 June. ...

POSTING OF WORKERS : MEPS WANT MORE PRECISION AND MORE CONTROL.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... As an answer to the European Commission's communication on the posting of workers, the European Parliament's Employment Committee decided to table an oral question accompanied by a resolution for the next plenary session (9 to 12 July). In a...

PLAINTE CONTRE LA CARTE SANITAIRE AUTRICHIENNE.(par la firme autrichienne Hartlauer Handelsgesellschaft )(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... La firme autrichienne Hartlauer Handelsgesellschaft a porte plainte contre le gouvernement du Land de Wien et de Haute-Autriche a propos de la legislation sanitaire, contentieux qui intervient en plein debat sur le cadre communautaire des...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : 13 MEMBER STATES FAIL TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES FOR REFUGEES.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Some 13 member states have failed to properly implement EU measures for the protection of refugees, according to the Commission, which has stated its intention to continue infringement proceedings. The proceedings concern the 2004...

AID FOR SWEDISH MARITIME TRANSPORT.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission authorised, on 27 June, an income tax and social insurance refund mechanism for Swedish shipping. The measure is only available for Swedish tax-liable seafarers working on board Swedish-flagged vessels. The objective is...

POSTING OF WORKERS : BELGIUM TAKEN TO COURT OVER RULES ON POSTING OF WORKERS.
July 18, 2007... The European Commission has decided to refer Belgium to the EU Court of Justice for the conditions it imposes on EU employers who want to post non-EU workers to the country. The Commission considers that those conditions go against Treaty rules...

CAN OPT-OUTS BE CIRCUMVENTED?(European Convention on Human Rights)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Not only has the UK got it down in black and white that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not apply on its territory, but Poland (on the solidarity - social' chapter) and Ireland (for its Common Law) could follow this example. aIs a...

GENDER EQUALITY : COMMISSION ADOPTS OPTIONSFOR NARROWING PAY GAP.
July 18, 2007... "In spite of strict legislation and a multitude of case law, a clear pay gap continues to exist between women and men on the job market," says the European Commission in a communication adopted on 18 July. In fact, in 2005, the pay gap between...

BUSINESS TRANSFERS : COMMISSION JUSTIFIES NOT REVIEWING 2001 DIRECTIVE.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... At the same time that it renewed consultation with social partners on the cross-border transfer of undertakings, the European Commission took stock of the application of the 2001 directive on safeguarding workers' rights in the event of the...

BUSINESS TRANSFERS : COMMISSION LAUNCHES CONSULTATION OF SOCIAL PARTNERS.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... After dealing with musculoskeletal disorders, the problems of carcinogenic products and family holidays, the European Commission - maintaining its promise to revive social dialogue - launched, on 20 June, a consultation of social partners on...

DISCRIMINATION : COMMISSION LAUNCHES PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON NEW MEASURES.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission launched, on 4 July, an online consultation on combating discrimination in the member states and at EU level. The public consultation will help the Commission plan new measures to tackle discrimination on the basis of...

SOCIAL POLICY : COMMISSION LAUNCHES SPATE OF INFRINGEMENT PROCEEDINGS.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... During its meeting held on 27 June, the European Commission decided to take legal proceedings on account of a set of infringements in social affairs. COURT REFERRALS The Commission has thus referred to the EU Court of Justice: -...

SOCIAL SECURITY : COMMISSION OUTLINES ANNEXES TO FUTURE REGULATION.
July 18, 2007... On 3 July, the European Commission proposed a draft regulation to amend the annexes of the future regulation for the coordination of social security schemes, ie Regulation 883/2004, which is intended to replace the legendary 1408/71, once work...

WORKING CONDITIONS : COMMISSION SETS OUT GENERAL FLEXICURITY PRINCIPLES.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... On 27 June, the European Commission proposed the establishment of joint flexicurity principles. Vladimir pidla, EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities said, "flexicurity is the best way to ensure that European...

PUBLIC HEALTH : COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMME GETS GREEN LIGHT IN STRASBOURG.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... MEPs put the Community action programme for health back on track for 2007-2013 following an agreement negotiated with the Council. By adopting, on 10 July, a report by Antonios Trakatellis (EPP-ED, Greece), they finally accepted the budget...

SOCIAL COUNCIL : CONCLUSIONS OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF GUIMARAES.(Portugal)(Conference news)
July 18, 2007... To conclude the informal meeting of EU employment and social affairs ministers in Guimaraes on 5-6 July 2007, the Portuguese EU Presidency adopted a declaration of 12 key points together with German (previous Presidency) and Slovenia (next...

EMPLOYMENT/TAXATION : DEBATE ON REDUCED VAT RATES IS BACK ON THE AGENDA.
July 18, 2007... Might there be a new system for reduced VAT rates by 2010? Upon the request of member states, and based on the study carried out by Copenhagen Economics, the European Commission relaunched, on 4 July, the debate on reduced VAT rates. The...

EESC ON THE IGC.(European Economic and Social Committee and the Intergovernmental Conference)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) believes that the agreement reached this weekend at the European Council will bring an end to the political and institutional crisis of the Union. There are now "clear chances that the European...

POSTING OF WORKERS : EP CRITICISES COMMISSION'S "IDEOLOGICAL" APPROACH.
July 18, 2007... In a resolution on the posting of workers, adopted on 12 July, the European Parliament states that in some cases the European Commission goes beyond the rules established by EU Court of Justice case law. Members of the EP consequently call on...

AIR TRANSPORT : EP RAISES ISSUE OF SOCIAL LAW APPLICABLE TO FLIGHT CREWS.(European Parliament)
July 18, 2007... The report on the overhaul of the third aviation package, adopted by the European Parliament at its 11 July plenary session, gave MEPs the opportunity to draw attention to the question of social law applicable to airline flight crews. The...

COHESION POLICY : EP RESOLUTION PROPOSES USE OF CRITERIA OTHER THAN GDP.(European Parliament wants a change in the use of gross domestic product as a basis for regional development)
July 18, 2007... Members of the European Parliament have asked the European Commission to work out a new method for measuring regional development, one based not solely on gross domestic product, but also on other indicators such as unemployment. The request is...

UNEMPLOYMENT : EU JOBLESS RATE DOWN AT 7% IN MAY.(European Union)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... In the eurozone, seasonally adjusted unemployment stood at 7% in May 2007, compared with 7.1% in April. It was 7.9% in May 2006. The EU27 unemployment rate was also 7% in May 2007, compared with 7.1% in April. It was 8% in May 2006. In May...

EUROPEAN YEAR AGAINST SOCIAL EXCLUSION.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission is set to propose, on 10 October, a few days before the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (on 17 October), that 2010 should be the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. (NGV)

EU-WIDE MINIMUM WAGE?(European Union)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... All EU member states should introduce a minimum wage, said Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in an interview published on 4 July in the German daily Die Zeit. Almunia emphasised that the European Commission could put pressure on the...

FUNDING TO HELP MANAGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Two calls for proposals have been launched by the European Commission with the aim of funding short-term actions to address the member states' difficulties regarding illegal immigration. One of the calls covers actions to provide adequate...

MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS : GERMAN RESTRICTION JUSTIFIED FOR REASONS OF GENERAL INTEREST.
July 18, 2007... Advocate-General Paolo Mengozzi has recommended that the Court of Justice rejects the European Commission's appeal against the temporary system implemented in Germany to authorise certified psychotherapists to work (conclusions handed down on...

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Parliament approved in first reading, on 19 June, the codification of two directives related to the protection of workers. One of them is aimed at worker protection against exposure to asbestos (Directive 83/477/EEC), and the other...

HEALTH CARE REIMBURSEMENT.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission decided on 27 June to send Portugal a reasoned opinion concerning the reimbursement of medical costs incurred by patients in another member state. Portugal's rules make reimbursement of outpatient care subject to prior...

GLOBALISATION FUND : HOW THE COMMISSION MADE ITS DECISION ON THE PEUGEOT APPLICATION.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The link between redundancies and globalisation was the issue being looked into when the European Commission assessed the first two applications for funding from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. The two applications were filed by...

INCENTIVE TO OPEN COMPANY CRECHES.(grant for day care centers from the European Social Fund)(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... German Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the German Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), Ludwig Georg Braun, have agreed on concrete measures for the development of company creches in Germany. By...

INFORMATION FOR WORKERS.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... On 5 July, the EU Court of Justice convicted Spain for breach of regulations on the information and consultation of workers in the European Community (non-transposition of Directive 2002/14 of 11 March 2002). Spain is not contesting the...

INTEGRATION OF NON-EU NATIONALS.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The EU Council adopted on 25 June without debate a decision establishing the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals for the period 2007 to 2013 as part of the general programme Solidarity and Management of Migration...

INTERVIEW WITH PORTUGAL'S LABOUR MINISTER : JOSE VIEIRA DA SILVA: DON'T PUT FLEXIBILITY AHEAD OF SECURITY.(Interview)
July 18, 2007... Prior to the informal Council of EU employment and social policy ministers, which was held from 5 to 7 July at Guimaraes (near Porto), the new President of the European Council, Jose Vieira da Silva, the Portuguese minister of labour and social...

SALARIES : JUNCKER HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR WAGE MODERATION.(Jean-Claude Juncker)
July 18, 2007... EU economic and finance ministers are expected to hold discussions under the Portuguese Presidency on wage moderation and the redistribution of the fruits of growth. The issue should be discussed at the Eurogroup meeting in November, according...

EDUCATION : LAUNCH OF ERASMUS MUNDUS II' DUE IN 2009.(educational exchanges)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission held a conference on 12 July on the new Erasmus Mundus II' programme, which envisages cooperation in terms of university exchanges between EU and partner countries. The new programme, which is due to be up and running in...

GLOBALISATION FUND : LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM US MODEL?
July 18, 2007... At the end of June, the European Commission approved the first ever EU subsidy to help people who lose their jobs because of globalisation, with 3.8 million going to retrain workers from French car manufacturers Peugeot and Renault. The subsidy...

HEALTH : MEPS URGE ACTION TO TACKLE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.(members of the European Parliament)
July 18, 2007... While the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment and Public Health (ENVI) adopted on 26 June a proposal for a resolution on "action against cardiovascular disease" in the EU, the think tank Stockholm Networks has launched a new...

EDUCATION : MORE FUNDING NEEDED FOR ERASMUS MUNDUS, ACCORDING TO REPORT.
July 18, 2007... Increased financial support is needed if the Erasmus Mundus programme is to fulfil its potential, according to an interim evaluation report. The report, drawn up by independent experts, states that the amount of money given to EU...

MIGRATION AND ASYLUM : NEW COOPERATION PROGRAMME WITH NON-EU COUNTRIES.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... A new programme, launched on 25 June by the Commission, will seek to support non-EU countries in their efforts to ensure better management of migratory flows. This programme, which builds on the experiences of its predecessor, the AENEAS...

EXCISE DUTY ON ALCOHOL : PARLIAMENT REJECTS INCREASE IN MINIMUM RATES.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... MEP Astrid Lulling (EPP-ED, Luxembourg) is over the moon. For several weeks, she has been calling for the pure and simple abolition of minimum excise duties in Europe. While she certainly did not win the case (the European Parliament did not...

PENSIONS DEBATE IN ITALY.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The Italian government and trade unions reached agreement, on 10 July, on an increase in more modest pensions. The measure will put an average of 33 a month more in the pockets of some 3.3 million retired people. Negotiations are continuing,...

RACE EQUALITY RULES.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission sent formal requests, on 27 June, to 14 member states to fully implement EU rules banning discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin (Directive 2000/43/EC). The countries concerned - Spain, Sweden, the Czech...

IMMIGRATION : RELAUNCHING A EUROPEAN POLICY IN 2007-2008.
July 18, 2007... Step by step, several statements lead one to believe that a global framework for an actual European immigration policy, demanded a long time ago but never put together to the extent necessary, could, in the near future, be adopted by the...

LABOUR LAW : RULES HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE AND BETTER ENFORCED, SAYS EP.
July 18, 2007... "If labour law is to meet the challenges of the 21st century, it must focus to a large extent on employment security throughout a worker's life rather than protecting particular jobs," concludes the European Parliament in an own-initiative...

SOCIAL PARTNERS/IGC 2007 : SOCIAL PARTNERS OUTLINE CONCERNS DESPITE RELIEF OVER TREATY DEAL.
July 18, 2007... Representatives of Europe's NGOs, trade unions and the business community have been quick to react to the deal reached at the European Council for a new EU reform treaty. Despite welcoming the agreement, the European Trade Union...

WORKING CONDITIONS : SOCIAL PARTNERS TAKE A STAND ON FLEXICURITY.(Informal Employment and Social Affairs Council)
July 18, 2007... Flexicurity was the main theme of the Informal Employment and Social Affairs Council meeting held from 5 to 7 July in Guimaraes, Portugal, and the traditional meeting of the ministerial troika (Portugal, Slovenia and France) with social...

STRUCTURAL FUNDS IN ITALY.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... The European Commission approved on 13 July the Italian National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) with the priorities of its cohesion investment strategy for 2007-2013. The Italian authorities describe how they plan to invest 28.8 billion...

SOCIAL POLICY/ENVIRONMENT : STUDY ASSESSES EMPLOYMENT IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
July 18, 2007... Climate policies must be clear, certain and foreseeable if they are to result in the private investments that will create many potential jobs, concludes a study on climate change and employment, published on 9 July. According to the study,...

EDUCATION : SUGGESTIONS REQUESTED FOR MODERNISING SCHOOL CURRICULA.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Priorities need to be identified for European cooperation to improve school education, according to the European Commission, which launched a public consultation on the issue on 12 July. One of the key issues addressed in the consultation...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : SUMMIT GIVES COMMISSION GO-AHEAD ON MIGRATION.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... A series of European Commission proposals in the area of migration and asylum, including ones on ways to curb the rapidly growing influx of illegal migrants to the EU, have been tabled by European leaders. At their summit on 22 June, heads...

EMPLOYMENT POLICY : THE GLOBALISATION FUND EXPLAINED TO MEMBER STATES.(European Globalisation Adjustment Fund)
July 18, 2007... In a document sent to member states, the European Commission has explained, point by point, the conditions that must be met if people are to qualify for support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. It describes redundancies, timing...

HEALTH/IGC : THE STATUS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE IGC MANDATE.(Intergovernmental Conference)
July 18, 2007... Contrary to other sectors, public health probably lost some ground at the European Council of 21-23 June. That is, if we compare the outlines of the future European treaty to the stillborn Constitution that it will replace. "In order to have...

CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : UK OPT-OUT NOT "DRAMATIC" FOR PORTUGAL.(Brief article)
July 18, 2007... Speaking to several European journalists in Lisbon, Portugal's Justice Minister Alberto Costa was keen to take the heat out of the debate over the British opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights. "The agreement on the charter was very...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : UK WINS OPT-OUT ON JUSTICE.
July 18, 2007... The United Kingdom can, after the reform treaty' has been put in place, not only continue to opt out' from EU legislation on immigration, visas and other policies related to the freedom of movement, but it can also choose to opt out on...

MARITIME TRANSPORT : UNIONS SEEK TO SAVE EU SEAFARERS' JOBS.
July 18, 2007... The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) is calling on members of the European Parliament to adopt measures to protect the jobs of European seafarers employed on ferries. Their plea comes against a backdrop of a trend by ship-owners to...

EMPLOYMENT/TAXATION : VARYING VAT RATES NOT THE BEST SOLUTION, SAYS COMMISSION.(European Commission)
July 18, 2007... Reduced rates of VAT are not always effective economically, the Commission suspects, and a study by Copenhagen Economics seems to confirm it. Below are the main conclusions of the Danish think-tank's report, which the EU executive presented, on...