European Social Policy articles from July 2008

European Social Policy archives from July 2008

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : BARROT TO PUSH FOR HORIZONTAL DIRECTIVE TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION.(Jacques Barrot)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission, after years of pondering the issue, will propose a new horizontal directive banning all forms of discrimination. The new EU Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner, Jacques Barrot, said that this proposal, which...

EDUCATION : COMMISSION CALLS FOR "RADICAL" CHANGES IN EU SCHOOLS.(European Commission)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... With three legislative instruments unveiled on 3 July, the European Commission linked the field of education and training to its renewed social agenda' and presented a blueprint for making the EU school system more relevant to the realities of...

EDUCATION : EU LIMPS BEHIND ITS OWN TARGETS.(European Union)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Union's member states are failing miserably to meet the five key benchmarks they set themselves back in 2003 to improve the performance of their education and training systems. The latest figures, released by the European...

EDUCATION : FIGEL TARGETS SEGREGATION OF IMMIGRANTS' CHILDREN.(Jan Figel)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... In response to challenges resulting from increasing migration flows and internal mobility within the European Union, Education Commissioner Jan Figel has presented a discussion document which is supposed to pave the way for successful...

YOUTH POLICY : FIRST RECOMMENDATION PROMOTES VOLUNTARY WORK.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... More young Europeans should get a chance to work abroad as volunteers at big sporting events such as the Euro football championships or in social and environmental projects. That is the aim of the first recommendation that the European...

INTERVIEW WITH XAVIER BERTRAND : "I CALL FOR A TRUCE ON WORKING TIME".(Interview)
July 15, 2008... Europolitics met Xavier Bertrand, France's Minister for Labour, Social Relations and Solidarity, for an impromptu interview. The European Parliament hearing was sporting and lively. What did you think of it? I very much appreciate...

EDUCATION : MAKE MOBILITY A RULE AND NOT AN EXCEPTION, URGES FIGEL.(Jan Figel)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... EU Education Commissioner Jan Figel is going to press the member states to link existing mobility programmes for young Europeans, earmark more funding for mobility during the upcoming mid-term budget review, and sign an action plan to remove...

CITIZENS' EUROPE : SELECT PROPOSALS FROM LAMASSOURE'S REPORT.(Alain Lamassoure)
July 15, 2008... Among the 61 proposals contained in Alain Lamassoure's report, it is possible to identify those that are somewhat optimistic and others which will be easy to implement. But all of them are necessary if progress is to be made in achieving a...

INTERVIEW WITH ALAIN COHEUR, PRESIDENT OF SOCIAL ECONOMY EUROPE : SOCIAL ECONOMY SECTOR NEEDS A LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK.(Interview)
July 15, 2008... Created in November 2000 under the name of CEP-CMAF, Social Economy Europe is the EU-level representative institution for the social economy sector (cooperatives, associations, mutual societies and foundations)(1) Your organisation has a...

SOCIAL POLICY : ALAIN LAMASSOURE PINPOINTS DEFICITS OF CITIZENS' EUROPE.
July 15, 2008... On 25 June, French MEP Alain Lamassoure (EPP-ED, UMP) gave French President Nicolas Sarkozy a report on European citizens and Community law implementation'. The report, which in principle is purely national, is in fact of interest to all of...

CALL FROM BUSINESSEUROPE ON LISBON TREATY.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The French EU Presidency, which started on 1 July, "will be an opportunity for President Nicolas Sarkozy to show his well-known dynamism," stressed the president of BusinessEurope, Ernest-Antoine Seilliere, during a press conference of the...

EDUCATION AND TRAINING : CEDEFOP TO REDEFINE ACTIVITIES.
July 15, 2008... An evaluation report drafted by an external firm gives the signal for an evolution in the activities of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop). This European Union agency, created in 1975 and...

COHESION POLICY AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Parliament asks that the EU's Cohesion Policy take greater account of the fate of vulnerable' populations. A resolution adopted in the plenary session of 17 June in Strasbourg on "the impact of Cohesion Policy on the integration...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : COMMISSION AIMS TO REFORM EUROPE'S ASYLUM SYSTEM.(European Commission)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission is toying with the idea to allow a temporary suspension of the so-called Dublin system, which determines which member state is responsible for processing an application for asylum. In a proposal to overhaul the current...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : COMMISSION KEEN TO TAKE EU'S ASYLUM POLICY A STEP FURTHER.(European Commission)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission plans to take the EU-wide harmonisation of asylum instruments and procedures a step further. In a new policy plan, adopted on 17 June, it outlines a road map towards the creation of a Common European Asylum System...

SOCIAL EUROPE : COMMISSION PRESENTS MIXED SOCIAL PACKAGE.
July 15, 2008... The European Commission gave the French government a gift for the start of its EU Council Presidency. It presented a complete social package on 2 July. The package entails four legislative proposals (on patients' rights in cross-border...

PUBLIC HEALTH : COMMISSION TO BOOST USE OF EHEALTH TECHNOLOGIES.(European Commission)
July 15, 2008... In future, doctors should be able to access the files of European patients passing through their member state. Thanks to eHealth systems, compatible from one EU country to another, practitioners will be able to know about their patients'...

EUROPEAN COUNCIL : COMMISSION TO CONSIDER TAX STEPS TO EASE OIL PRICE IMPACT.
July 15, 2008... Fiscal measures to soften the effects of the increase in oil prices? Despite strong reluctance from the Ecofin Council and the European Commission (see box), the European Council implicitly resolved, on 20 June, to ask the Commission "to...

SOCIAL POLICY : COMMISSION UNVEILS RENEWED SOCIAL AGENDA.(European Commission)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission adopted, on 2 July, a renewed social agenda' meant to ensure that "EU policies provide a real response to the socioeconomic challenges of our time". Seven priority areas are identified: children and young people;...

EUROPEAN COUNCIL : CONCLUSIONS ON HOME AFFAIRS REFLECT FRENCH PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES.
July 15, 2008... With emphasis firmly on migration, cooperation with third countries and family law, the conclusions adopted by the European Council, on 20 June, decisively put the immediate development of the EU's policies in the field of freedom, security and...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : CONTROVERSIAL RULES ON ILLEGAL MIGRANTS CLEAR PARLIAMENT.
July 15, 2008... Illegal immigrants will in future be treated according to the same rules across the whole EU. Member states' authorities will be able to detain them for six months, or even 18 months in exceptional circumstances. They will have to give them...

COUNCIL GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The Council of employment and social policy ministers definitively approved, on 9 June in Luxembourg, guidelines for employment for 2008. Only slight changes were made to the original text. It only accepted part of the European Parliament's...

SECONDMENT OF WORKERS : COURT REJECTS OVERLY RESTRICTIVE MONITORING MEASURES.
July 15, 2008... At a time when all 27 member states have committed to improving their administrative cooperation on respect for the conditions on the secondment of workers, the EU Court of Justice has just handed down a ruling targeting Luxembourgish...

WORKING CONDITIONS : DIRECTIVE CLARIFIES ROLE OF EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS.
July 15, 2008... The European Commission proposed, on 2 July, a recast of the Directive on the European Works Councils, which applies to European-scale companies or groups of companies. It aims essentially to improve the working of these bodies, specifically...

FIGHT AGAINST EXCLUSION : EAPN OUTLINES DEMANDS TO FRENCH PRESIDENCY.(European Anti-Poverty Network)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has presented its proposals to the French Presidency of the EU with regard to principles aimed at promoting the active inclusion of persons most marginalised in the labour market, during a meeting in...

ELIMINATING GENDER STEREOTYPES.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The Council adopted conclusions, on 9 June, on eliminating gender stereotypes in society and implementing the Beijing action programme, in respect of its indicators on girls. The conclusions are available at www.europolitics.info > Search >...

SOCIAL EXCLUSION : EP-COUNCIL: 2010 TO BE EUROPEAN YEAR FOR COMBATING POVERTY.
July 15, 2008... In a first-reading compromise with the Council, the European Parliament backs plans to designate 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The report, drafted by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou (EPP-ED, Greece) was...

GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT : EP'S RAPPORTEUR DISAPPOINTED.(European Parliament's Anne Van Lancker)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... By considering only some of the formal amendments on the guidelines for employment, the Council of Ministers has not really taken account of the European Parliament's opinion (which is only consulted in this matter). Questioned by Europolitics...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The Commission sent, on 26 June, reasoned opinions to the Czech Republic, Greece and Poland for failure to transpose Directive 2004/113/EC prohibiting discrimination in the access to and supply of goods and services.

PUBLIC HEALTH : EU ANNOUNCES FREE FRUIT INITIATIVE FOR 26 MILLION SCHOOL KIDS.(European Union)
July 15, 2008... The idea of distributing fruit in schools in the European Union, launched by the EU agriculture commissioner in May 2007, is expected to become a reality soon. Mariann Fischer Boel, who wants "to give a human face to the Common Agricultural...

STATE AID : EU EASES RULES TO STIMULATE AID FOR GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT.(European Union)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission adopted, on 7 July, a regulation allowing member states to grant state aid in certain specific cases without first having to notify the EU executive. With the regulation, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes hopes to...

INTERNET : EU EXECUTIVE CONSULTS ON ACCESS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission has launched a public consultation lasting until 27 August on the accessibility of websites for people suffering from a disability. This concerns 15% of Europeans: they are unable to read online or understand how to surf...

LABOUR COSTS : EU INDEX UP 4.3%.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Total hourly labour costs(1) in the eurozone rose by 3.3% in nominal terms in the year up to the first quarter of 2008, compared with 2.9% for the previous quarter. In the EU, the annual rise was 4.3% up to the first quarter of 2008, compared...

UNEMPLOYMENT : EU JOBLESS RATE INCHES UP.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... In the eurozone, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.2% in May, unchanged compared with April. It was 7.5% in May 2007. In the EU, the unemployment rate was 6.8% in May, compared with 6.7% in April (7.2% in May 2007), according...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : EU PONDERS ALERT SYSTEM FOR CHILD ABDUCTIONS.(European Union)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... On 12 June 2008, six-year-old Victoria Schmitt from Luxembourg was abducted in northern France. The kidnapper in an old black BMW took her across two national borders into the Netherlands. However, he was arrested, and Victoria was found, in...

QUALIFICATIONS : EUROPASS SYSTEM DECLARED A SUCCESS.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Europass, the system created in 2005 to improve the transparency and comparability of qualifications in the EU, is achieving its objectives and really helps citizen mobility. The Europass online portal has had more than 12 million visits since...

TAXATION : EU'S AVERAGE TAX RATE INCHING UP.(European Union)
July 15, 2008... In 2006, the tax burden (ie the total amount of taxes and social security contributions) increased in the EU to 39.9% of GDP, compared to 39.3% in 2005. This is the strongest year-on-year increase in ten years, but the percentage is...

TAXATION : EU TO CAUTIOUSLY EXTEND REDUCED VAT RATE SCHEME.
July 15, 2008... The European Commission has drawn up a proposal that would allow member states to set a reduced rate of value-added tax (VAT) on certain labour-intensive or locally-provided services. The subject is sensitive and controversial and the...

SPORT : FOOTBALLERS SET UP FORUM FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The minimum requirements applicable to professional players' contracts - health and safety at work, health insurance, education for young players, rights and obligations, resolution of conflicts and image rights - was the first subject debated...

FREE MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission sent, on 26 June, a reasoned opinion to Slovakia asking it to remove its investment restrictions on statutory pension funds (infringement of Article 56 Treaty EC prohibiting restrictions on free movement of capital). The...

FREE MOVEMENT OF SERVICES.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission decided, on 26 June, to refer Portugal to the EU Court of Justice over its rules on the provision of construction services. The Commission says that providers wishing to render temporary services in Portugal have to...

SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : FRENCH AND GERMAN ELECTED OFFICIALS DEFEND COMMON CONCERNS.
July 15, 2008... On the eve of the start of the French EU Presidency, the main French and German associations of local officials and public enterprises(1) officially affirmed their common concerns over the organisation and development of local public services....

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : FRENCH PRESIDENCY HIGHLIGHTS PROTECTION OF ADULTS.
July 15, 2008... Pensioners who decide to spend their retirement in southern Europe or disabled people in care in a foreign institution should receive appropriate legal protection across the European Union, no matter which member state they come from and in...

EUROBAROMETER : FUTURE LOOKS BLEAK FOR MILLIONS OF EUROPEANS.
July 15, 2008... According to a recent Eurobarometer poll carried out in April, Europeans are pessimistic about their future. Almost half of those questioned (49%) feel that their quality of life in 20 years' time will be lower than today. Less than four out of...

PUBLIC HEALTH : HEALTH CARE: SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF COOPERATION PLANNED.
July 15, 2008... Beyond the cross-border aspect, the draft directive on patients' rights and access to care in the EU, presented on 2 July, sets out a series of cooperation initiatives between national authorities. Less controversial aspects than cross-border...

HISTORIAN OF POVERTY PASSES INTO HISTORY.(Bronislaw Geremek)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Bronislaw Geremek turned 76 this summer. He died on 13 July on a road in the west of Poland. Firstly, Geremek was an historical figure of Solidarnosc. He was one of the intellectuals to join the ranks of the first challengers -...

CONSUMPTION : HOUSEHOLDS SPEND MOST ON HOUSING AND FOOD.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... A third of household expenditure in the EU27 in 2005 went on housing, including utilities and furniture (33.1%), and almost a fifth on food, beverages and tobacco (19.4%). The other half of the expenditure was mainly dedicated to transport...

SOCIAL COUNCIL : IN CHANTILLY, MINISTERS DEBATE A MORE "PRACTICAL" EUROPE.(Chantilly, France)
July 15, 2008... The EU's employment and social affairs ministers met informally at Montvillargenne Castle in Chantilly (north of Paris), on 10 and 11 July, with French Minister Xavier Bertrand chairing. The trio of Presidencies (France, the Czech Republic...

GDP : LUXEMBOURG RICHEST, BULGARIA POOREST IN UNION.(gross domestic product)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Based on first preliminary estimates for 2007 published by Eurostat, on 24 June, gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS)(1)) varied from 38% to 276% of the average across EU member states, ie a...

EMPLOYMENT : MEMBER STATES CALL FOR SKILLS ASSESSMENT BY MARCH 2009.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Meeting on 9 June in Luxembourg, the Council of employment and social policy ministers invited the European Commission to discuss, at the spring European Council in 2009, the assessment of "future skills requirements in Europe up to 2020"....

SOCIAL POLICY : MEMBER STATES INVITED TO COMMIT TO A SOCIAL PACT'.(European Union)
July 15, 2008... EU member states should commit to a social pact' for Europe, drawing inspiration from the package of social measures presented by the European Commission on 2 July. The call to this effect was made by the Social Platform(1) - European...

FINANCIAL SERVICES : MEPS CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY ON HEDGE FUNDS AND PRIVATE EQUITY.(Members of the European Parliament)
July 15, 2008... The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee unanimously adopted,aon 26 June, a report by MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP, Germany) to bring the dealings of hedge funds (HF) and private equity (PE) firms more into the open. The report calls on...

WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE : MEPS SLAM COMMISSION FOR INACTION.(Members of European Parliament)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Parliament's Committee on Petitions adopted a report, on 25 June, that stated MEPs' concerns at "the unjustified and excessive amount of time - often spanning several years - which the Commission takes to pursue and conclude...

INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL : MINISTERS BROACH THORNY QUESTIONS "WITHOUT TABOOS".
July 15, 2008... Gathered in an informal Council on 10-11 July in Chantilly, near Paris, the EU's employment ministers had a lot of work to do with the social package presented by the European Commission and the need, following the Irish no', to make Europe...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : NGOS FURIOUS OVER ADOPTION OF RETURN DIRECTIVE.(nongovernment organizations)
July 15, 2008... Leading campaigners for refugee rights have joined the chorus of Socialist, Green and Communist MEPs in chastising the European Parliament for adopting the controversial Return Directive(1). The directive, aimed at setting EU-wide rules on the...

SOCIAL EUROPE : PRESENTATION OF PRESIDENCY'S PRIORITIES TURNS INTO DEBATE.
July 15, 2008... France's Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand appeared before the European Parliament's Employment Committee, on 25 June, with the intention of presenting the Presidency's priorities for the next six months (see also interview). But the compromise...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : RACIST VIOLENCE ON RISE, WARNS EU RIGHTS AGENCY.(European Union Fundamental Rights Agency)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Discrimination against ethnic minorities is still widespread across Europe, racist crime is on the increase, and the member states do not make good use of the anti-discrimination tools that the EU's legislation offers. These are the conclusions...

INFLATION : RATE RISES TO 3.9% IN MAY IN UNION.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Confirming the effect of oil prices on consumer prices, Eurostat announced, on 16 June, that eurozone annual inflation was 3.7% in May 2008, up from 3.3% in April (and 1.9% a year earlier). This is its highest annual rate since the launch of...

REPORT ON EMPLOYMENT INCENTIVES.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission has published a report on Community incentives in the field of employment (MIE programme) which were implemented during the 2002-2006 period. This programme was the predecessor of the Progress programme. About 150...

SOCIAL SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : REPORT PROVIDES SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF SSGIS.
July 15, 2008... In its report on social services of general interest (SSGIs), presented on 2 July, the European Commission recalls above all the role played by SSGIs in the European economy, without really proposing a new solution at the legislative or...

RESTRUCTURING OF POLISH SHIPYARDS.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The European Commission has received the restructuring plans for the Gdynia, Gdansk and Szczecin shipyards, which it has been demanding from the Polish authorities as part of its state aid investigation launched in June 2005. "The Commission...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : ROME TO CONTINUE FINGERPRINTING ROMA DESPITE CRITICISM.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The Italian government reacted with fury to a call for restraint by the European Parliament and vowed to press ahead with its plans to fingerprint the Roma people. Several ministers of Silvio Berlusconi's government rejected accusations of...

WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE : SLOVENIAN EU PRESIDENCY CRITICISED BY MEPS.(Members of the European Parliament)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Addressing the European Parliament's Employment Committee on 24 June, the Slovenian Presidency of the EU faced strong criticism over the Council's political agreement on the Working Time Directive. While MEPs congratulated the Slovenian EU...

SOCIAL PACKAGE DISAPPOINTS.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The least one could say is that the social package', presented by the European Commission on 2 July, does not arouse enthusiasm. The proposals aim to show its "holistic approach" to social problems, according to Social Affairs Commissioner...

INTERVIEW WITH MEP ALAIN LAMASSOURE (EPP-ED) : TIME TO OPEN A NEW CHAPTER OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION.(Member of European Parliament)(Interview)
July 15, 2008... As a specialist in institutional Europe, why are you interested in citizens' Europe? Because I was elected by them. That's the merit of democracy. I have been stunned by the contrast between the texts we adopt in Brussels and Strasbourg...

EU/CROATIA : UNION MAY LIMIT FREE MOVEMENT OF CROATIAN WORKERS.
July 15, 2008... Croatia's accession negotiations moved forward, on 17 June, after the Council agreed to launch talks with Zagreb on two new chapters: freedom of movement of workers (2) and social policy and employment (19). In the case of both chapters, the EU...

SOCIAL SECURITY : UNION PLANS CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE.
July 15, 2008... "Allow citizens to choose where they want to seek treatment": the principle guiding the main provision of the directive on cross-border health care, proposed by the European Commission on 2 July, seems to be generous and agreeable. But the text...

EU COURT OF JUSTICE : URGENT PROCEDURE FIRST USED IN CHILD CUSTODY CASE.(European Union)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Stepping into a two-year legal battle over a child retained by one of the divorced parents, the EU Court of Justice made use, for the first time ever, of the new urgent preliminary ruling procedure. The ruling in the case involving a German...

SALARIES : WAGES POSE NO THREAT TO INFLATION, SAY TRADE UNIONS.(European Trade Union Confederation)(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... Neither ongoing wage bargaining nor expected wage trends will trigger inflationary second-round effects, says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). In a press release, dated 1 July, it responds to the recent warnings from the European...

POLISH SHIPYARDS : WARSAW ASKS FOR MORE TIME.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The Polish government has asked the European Commission for more time to prepare the restructuring of the shipyards in Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczecin, according to Polish Treasury Minister Aleksander Grad. Although the European Commission has...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : WATERED-DOWN IMMIGRATION PACT GETS COUNCIL SUPPORT.(Justice and Home Affairs Council)
July 15, 2008... The European Union's interior ministers largely supported, albeit with some caution, the eagerly awaited European pact on immigration and asylum' presented to them by the French Immigration Minister, Brice Hortefeux. The informal Justice and...

WOMEN IN POLITICAL DECISION MAKING.(Brief article)
July 15, 2008... The EU Social Council regretted, on 9 June, that "despite the progress achieved, women remain, in the majority of member states, under-represented in political decision making". It immediately asked member states to "adopt suitable measures...

LIBRE OPINION : POUR UNE AGENCE EUROPEENNE DU SANS-ABRISME.(EU should consider special agency for homeless)(Editorial)
July 15, 2008... Au moment de la discussion sur la renovation de l'agenda social, il importe de placer dans le debat des propositions novatrices. C'est le cas avec l'idee d'une agence europeenne pour les sans-abris, que propose Julien Damon. Quel meilleur...