European Social Policy articles from June 2007

European Social Policy archives from June 2007

OPEN FORUM : A SIMPLIFIED TREATY, BUT WHAT WILL IT DO?
June 20, 2007... The Sauvons L'Europe' [Let's save Europe] organisation was set up in 2005 after the French and Dutch No' votes against the EU's Constitutional Treaty. It quickly structured itself into local groups, convinced that there could be such a thing...

INFORMATION SOCIETY : COMMISSION AIMS TO USE ICT TO HELP THE ELDERLY.
June 20, 2007... In response to the ever growing percentage of elderly people in the European population, the Commission feels that information and communication technologies (ICT) can be used to help them in improving their quality of life, to stay in good...

HEALTH : COMMISSION WANTS TO INCREASE ORGAN DONATIONS IN THE EU.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is proposing actions to deal with the shortage of organs for transplant in the EU due to the "tremendous needs", explained the EU's Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou on 30 May. On the same day, the EU's executive...

CONFERENCE ON MINIMUM INCOME.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment will be sponsoring a conference, on 15 June in Brussels, on minimum income and the integration of persons excluded from the labour market, in relation to the wider challenge of...

DISAGREEMENT ON SUPPLEMENTARY PENSIONS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... At the Employment and Social Policy Council, the German EU Presidency had to admit, on 30 May, the disagreement of the ministers concerning the proposed directive on professional pensions. The hope to obtain a political agreement was dashed...

DUTCH MAY VETO SUPPLEMENTARY PENSIONS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The Netherlands has shown its intention of not approving the political agreement on the Directive on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights (see Europolitics 3313 and 3301). In particular, the Dutch consider that the proposal, presented...

ECJ CONDEMNS AUSTRIA.(European Union Court of Justice)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... On 24 May, the EU Court of Justice condemned Austria for not having completely transposed Directive 2001/45/EC on the safety and health of workers, as well as work equipment, especially in the two provinces of Burgenland and Lower Austria...

ELECTRICITY DEAL APPROVED.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission granted clearance on 31 Mayato the acquisition of joint control of Enerjisa Enerji Uretim A.S. (Enerjisa) of Turkey by Osterreichische Elektrizitatswirtschafts-Aktiengesellschaft (Verbund) of Austria and H.O. Sabanci...

EMPLOYMENT : EU EMPLOYMENT RATE UP 0.3% IN FIRST QUARTER.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The seasonally adjusted number of persons employed in the eurozone rose by 0.4% (533,000 persons) during the first quarter of 2007, according to provisional national accounts estimates published by Eurostataon 13 June. During the same period,...

YOUTH COUNCIL : EU REPORT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF YOUNG EUROPEANS ON THE WAY.
June 20, 2007... Agreement on the need for a regular EU youth report on the situation of young people in Europe was one of the main results of the EU Youth Council on 25 May. EU youth ministers say that such a report "could help to analyse and draw attention to...

EU/SERBIA : EU SEALS VISA FACILITATION AND READMISSION AGREEMENTS WITH SERBIA.(European Union)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Just a few hours after the Serbian parliament approved late in the night on 15 May a new pro-European-oriented government formed by President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS), Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DDS) and former...

HEALTH COUNCIL : MINISTERS TO DEBATE PRICES OF ANTIRETROVIRAL AIDS DRUGS.
June 20, 2007... Germany made the fight against the AIDS virus in the EU and neighbouring countries one of the priorities of its Presidency, which will end at the end of June. During the Health Council on 31 May, Berlin is therefore expected to open the debate...

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES.
June 20, 2007... The Health Council adopted on 31 May a recommendation on the prevention of accidents and injuries and the promotion of safety in the EU. The rate of accidents and injuries is increasing such that it is becoming a leading cause of death and...

SUBSIDY UNDER THE GLOBALISATION FUND.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is expected to approve by end June (possibly on the 27th), via the written procedure, the French request for a subsidy under the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund for workers of undertakings that are suppliers to the...

EUROPEAN TREATY : UNIONS SPELL OUT EIGHT OPTIONS FOR A SOCIAL CONSTITUTION'.(European Trade Union Institute)
June 20, 2007... A detailed study just released by the European Trade Union Institute presents a number of ways to strengthen the social dimension of a future EU Treaty. The thorough and uncompromising paper identifies what it sees as the difficulties or...

WORKING TIME OF BUSINESS BOSSES.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Heads of European companies work less than their counterparts from other continents, for a total of 50 hours per week as compared to 53 hours per week throughout the world, according to a study conducted by the Grant Thornton audit office....

HEALTH : 88% OF EUROPEANS WANT SMOKE-FREE PUBLIC PLACES.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is taking advantage of World No Tobacco Day (31 May) to reiterate its determination to introduce a ban on smoking in public places and at the workplace across the EU. In addition to launching an e-mail coaching service...

IGC 2007/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : A BATTLE OF VALUES - SOCIAL PROTECTION VS FREE COMPETITION.
June 20, 2007... There can be no mistake about it. In its apparent simplicity, the German draft Intergovernmental Conference mandate for a reform treaty conceals an important aspect, ie it overturns Europe's values and objectives. First, the mandate breaks...

IGC 2007/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : A CHARTER WITH VARYING DEGREES OF LEGAL VALUE.(European Charter of Fundamental Rights)
June 20, 2007... The Charter of Fundamental Rights, proclaimed on 7 December 2000 and marginally corrected in the draft Constitutional Treaty, has the same legal value' as the Treaties. The mandate approved by the European Council of June 21-23 for an...

IGC 2007/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : A COMPLICATED MANDATE FOR A SO-CALLED SIMPLIFIED' TREATY.
June 20, 2007... Once the heads of state and government had come to agreement at the European Council of 21-23 June, it took the legal experts from the Council and the EU Presidency several hours to formalise the mandate for the 2007 Intergovernmental...

HEALTH COUNCIL : AIDS: EU WANTS TO REDUCE PRICE OF ANTIRETROVIRALS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The German Presidency of the EU wants to encourage Community action to reduce the price of antiretroviral medicines in the EU and its neighbouring countries. "Barriers to access to antiretroviral treatment vary from country to country and the...

FINANCE : ARE PRIVATE SCHOOL LESSONS OF GENERAL INTEREST?
June 20, 2007... In a judgement delivered on 14 June 2007 in relation to the application of VAT rules, the Court of Justice of the EC legitimated the concept of private tuition in the same way as traditional teaching (Werner Haderer versus Finanzamt...

BUILDING AWARENESS ON BACK DISORDERS.(musculoskeletal disorders)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... On 4 June, the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health launched an information campaign on musculoskeletal disorders. In the European Union, one worker in four suffers from back pain and nearly one in four from...

RESEARCH : COMMISSION EARMARKS ONE BILLION EURO TO AGEING WELL' INITIATIVE.(European Commission)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission has unveiled plans to invest in research on information and communication technologies (ICT) designed to serve the elderly. The EU executive launched, on 14 June, an action plan entitled Ageing Well in the information...

POSTED WORKERS : COMMISSION ISSUES WARNING TO MEMBER STATES.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission intends to remind member states of their obligations towards posted workers within the framework of providing services. In a communication adopted on 13 June, following a detailed summary of the measures implemented in...

FIGHT AGAINST EXCLUSION : COMMISSION LAUNCHES CONSULTATION ON E-INCLUSION.(European Commission)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is inviting interested parties to respond to an online consultation on e-inclusion up until 15 August. It will use the feedback to prepare the presentation of a strategy, by the end of 2007, in response to the objectives...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : COMMISSION POLISHES EU ASYLUM PROCEDURES.
June 20, 2007... Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini presented, on 6 June, a green paper for the establishment of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), demanding more efficient cost and burden-sharing based on solidarity between member states in receiving...

HEALTH : COMMISSION PREPARING DIRECTIVE ON ORGAN DONATIONS.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is working on a draft directive aimed at setting quality and safety standards for organ donations in the EU. The key elements of this project are outlined in a communication that was adopted on 29 May. Commission...

POSTED WORKERS : COMMISSION VOWS TO PURSUE RECALCITRANT STATES.(European Commission)
June 20, 2007... As expected, on 13 June the European Commission presented a communication on posted workers' which aims to create harmony for workers, so that wherever a worker may be posted in the EU he or she can be sure of certain legal rights. The...

COMMUNITY HEALTH FRAMEWORK.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The 27 health ministers of the EU are set to repeat, on 31 May, their request to the European Commission to present "a general framework which not only concerns patient mobility but also all matters [relating to health services], which duly...

FINANCIAL MARKETS : CONFERENCE SEES NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON HEDGE FUNDS.(Conference news)
June 20, 2007... The launching of an EU-US initiative on hedge funds and private equity saw calls from across the board for international scrutiny. At a conference hosted by the Party of European Socialists (PES) on 4 June, political and trade union leaders...

CONSULTATION OF WORKERS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The EU Court of Justice convicted, on 14 June, Luxembourg for its non-transposition within the stipulated timeframe of Directive 2002/14/EC on the information and consultation of workers (Case C-321/06). In accordance with its case law, the...

CONSULTATION ON FAMILY LEAVE.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission, on 30 May, launched the second stage of the consultation with social partners on how to achieve a better balance between work, private and family life. They now have six weeks within which to indicate whether they want...

HEALTH : COUNCIL PREFERS A VOLUNTARY APPROACH ON SMOKING.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Appropriate and effective measures are needed at national or European level to combat passive smoking, agreed the 27 ministers in Council on 31 May, but they prefer to rely on information campaigns rather than binding measures to prompt smokers...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : COUNCIL STRESSES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIONS ON MIGRATION.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The necessity for the EU to achieve a more efficient management of migration given the considerable numbers of migrants coming from or through the eastern and south-eastern regions was confirmed by the EU ministers. In its conclusions on...

FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS : COURT INVESTIGATES LEGALITY OF EXPULSION OF ROMAS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The situation of Romas orginating from Romania and expelled by some countries in the European Union will have to be settled by the Court of Justice. In a dispute opposing Gheorghe Jipa to the Romanian Ministry of the Interior (general...

CZECH BILL AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The Czech Republic has endorsed a bill against discrimination. Pursuant to the Community directives, it relates to access to employment, education and care for all citizens and protects them against different forms of discrimination: racial,...

DEFICIT OF CARE FOR SENIORS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... There are not enough care facilities for the elderly in the Czech Republic, according to a survey conducted by that country's Labour and Social Affairs Institute. Czech seniors lack the services that would enable them to remain active and...

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK : DIRECTIVES ON BACK PROBLEMS AND CARCINOGENS ARE IN THE WORKS.
June 20, 2007... After concluding a double consultation of the social partners in March and April, the European Commission could well start preparing two legislative initiatives: one on work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the other on carcinogens. The...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : DUBLIN RULES ON ASYLUM CLAIMS NEED A REVIEW.
June 20, 2007... The EU's twin system that determines which member state is responsible for examining an asylum application must be evaluated and updated to not stand in the way of creating a fairer European common approach to asylum, the European Commission...

HEALTH AND SAFETY OF WORKERS : ECJ SAYS BRITISH LAW CONFORMS TO EU LEGISLATION.(European Union Court of Justice)
June 20, 2007... On 14 June, the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed the European Commission's appeal against the "reasonably practicable" clause of British legislation on the health and safety of workers (Case C-127/05). The Commission has not adequately shown...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : EP PRESSING FOR FRAMEWORK TO BETTER RECONCILE WORK AND STUDIES.
June 20, 2007... In an own-initiative report adopted on June 19, the European Parliament proposes the establishment of a regulatory framework for measures to reconcile family life and studies. In particular, the EP is recommending tax reductions, adequate...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : EU AIMS TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC MIGRATION.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission has tabled an ambitious proposal dealing with how to both endorse so-called circular migration of workers that would meet Europe's growing need for well-trained workers in particularly understaffed labour sectors, and...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : EU DIVORCE LEGISLATION TOO TRICKY TO TACKLE.
June 20, 2007... While Germany is pressing to conclude an agreement on how to settle European cross-border divorces, other member states are reluctant to pursue an issue unlikely to be settled because of their diametrically different views on matrimony. ... .

UNEMPLOYMENT : EU JOBLESS RATE DOWN TO 7.1%.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The EU27 unemployment rate was 7.1% in April 2007, compared with 7.2% in March. It was 8% in April 2006. In April 2007, the lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (3.3%), Denmark (3.4% in March) and Ireland (4%). Unemployment rates...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : EU LEADERS TO SET DEADLINES FOR AGREEING ANTI-CRIME PROPOSALS.(European Union)
June 20, 2007... The European Council on 21-22 June, called for an agreement between now and the end of 2007 on the draft framework decision on the protection of data. The decision will cover the shqring of infor,ation between security forces and judicial...

EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONGRESS : EUROPEAN TRADE UNIONS BARE THEIR TEETH IN SEVILLE.
June 20, 2007... European trade unions, who met for a congress in Seville on 21 May, want to "go on the offensive to make social Europe a reality," said European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) General Secretary John Monks. The Brit, a former acquaintance of...

EDUCATION COUNCIL : EUROPE'S YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS ASSESSED.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... A European survey on language competences among young people will be conducted over 2009-2010, it was announced on 25 May. Education Commissioner Jan Figel' outlined how the survey will work at a press conference during a meeting of the...

SOCIAL POLICY/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : EU SETS OUT STATE OF PLAY ON VARIOUS DOSSIERS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... In terms of social policy, the conclusions of the European Council habitually set out the state of play on dossiers in progress or push some dossiers forward. As there is not all that much going on in terms of legislation on social policy, the...

EXPERT GROUP ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE.(European Commission )(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... A high level group of government experts gathered for the first time in Brussels to tackle demographic change issues. The European Commission set up the group at the behest of the member states, as it announced in its communication on...

BANKING SERVICES : FRANCE TO APPEAL EU ORDER ON LIVRET A'.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The French government announced on 19 June that it would appeal the European Commission's attack on its tax-free savings instruments, Livret A' and Livret bleu'. Last month, the Commission gave France nine months to change the system, which is...

ASYLUM POLICY : FRATTINI CRITICISES MEMBER STATES FOR WEAK SOLIDARITY ON ASYLUM.(Franco Frattini)
June 20, 2007... Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini has slammed member states for lacking in solidarity and burden-sharing on the issue of asylum-seekers to the EU, urging them to adopt common criteria for asylum procedures and protection of refugees but also...

GLOBALISATION FUND NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
June 20, 2007... The European Commission is expected to make a decision within the next few days on the dossier submitted by France to help the employees of Peugeot and Renault's sub-contractors. But certain obstacles remain. Before the subsidy can be paid from...

HEALTH CARE MERGER CLEARED.(De Agostini S.p.A. and Sante Holdings S.r.l. acquires Generale de Sante S.A.)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Commission granted clearance on 15 June to the acquisition of joint control of Generale de Sante S.A (France),aactive in the health care sector, by De Agostini S.p.A. (Italy) and Sante Holdings S.r.l. (Italy). De Agostini is a...

HOUSING EUROPE CENTRE.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... TheaUnion Sociale pour l'Habitat, the European Liaison Committee for Social Housing (CECODHAS), the European network of large social sponsors and several national social housing federations (Dutch, Italian, Swedish, French) present in Brussels...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : IMMIGRANTS BULLIED ON EU LABOUR MARKETS, SURVEY FINDS.(European Union)(European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions report)
June 20, 2007... Immigrants to the EU are segregated into low-paid jobs without prospects for the future, and risk bullying and exploitation at their work places to a higher extent than European colleagues, a fresh survey has revealed.The Ireland-based European...

INSOLVENCY OF EMPLOYERS.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The European Parliament approved, on 19 June, a report by Diana Wallis (ALDE, United Kingdom) concerning the codification of directives on the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. This proposal by the...

INSTITUTE FOR GENDER EQUALITY.(European Institute for Gender Equality)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The Council of Employment Ministers, on 24 May, approved the nomination of member states' representatives to the governing body of the Vilnius-based European Institute for Gender Equality. Further details are available at www.europolitics.info...

CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : IS THE CHARTER RECOGNISED OR LIMITED BY THE COURT OF JUSTICE?(European Charter of Fundamental Rights, 2000)
June 20, 2007... The question of obligatory force in the Charter of Fundamental Rights will certainly be one of the points of the institutional debate to come (Intergovernmental Conference qnd Treaty). It is interesting to see how the EU Court of Justice has...

FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY : KYPRIANOU OPTS FOR VOLUNTARY APPROACH UNTIL 2010.(Markos Kyprianou)
June 20, 2007... In a bid to reverse the trend towards obesity in the EU by 2015 (by which time, unless something is done, 200 million adults are expected to be overweight), the EU's Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, has gone for the soft option, ie a...

FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY : KYPRIANOU SETS OUT 2007-2015 ROAD MAP TO COUNTER OBESITY.(Markos Kyprianou)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The EU's Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou presented, on 30 May, a white paper setting out an EU strategy on nutrition and physical activity. Taking care not to stigmatise the agribusiness industry, as the services of Enterprise Commissioner...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES AGREE TO SPEED UP BORDER CONTROL COORDINATION.
June 20, 2007... The EU's member states have agreed to speed up border control coordination between all current and future signatories to the Schengen acquis, which foresees a Union without physical border controls. A series of technical and judicial key...

HEALTH COUNCIL : MEMBER STATES ALIGNED ON INNOVATIVE THERAPIES.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The EU twenty-seven have unanimously adopted the proposed regulation, thereby creating an EU legal framework for medicines from human tissue engineering and gene and cell therapies. This is concerned with the establishment of a centralised...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : MEMBER STATES SPLIT OVER EU CRIMINAL LAW MEASURES.(European Union )
June 20, 2007... The breakdown of talks concerning the introduction of common EU standards for the treatment of suspects in criminal proceedings has highlighted a clash between member states ready to hand over legislation rights to Brussels and those eager to...

HEALTH SERVICES : MEP REVOLT FIZZLES OUT.(European Parliament)
June 20, 2007... The members of the European Parliament who wanted to reintroduce health care into the Services Directive have had to retreat, to their regret. Joseph Daul, chair of the EPP-ED Group, put a halt to their movement, saying he wished 'to respect...

SOCIAL SECURITY : MEPS APPROVE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY PENSION RIGHTS.
June 20, 2007... The European Parliament approved, on 20 June, the proposal for a directive on supplementary pension rights for migrant workers, by setting standards for their acquisition and preservation but without going so far as to implement the portability...

EDUCATION AND TRAINING : MEPS BACK EU-WIDE FRAMEWORK FOR MEASURING QUALIFICATIONS.
June 20, 2007... Broad support has been given by MEPs for the creation of a European Qualifications Framework, in a vote in the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 7 June. The EQF, as planned by the European Commission, would be...

WORKERS RIGHTS : MEPS STEER MIDDLE COURSE ON WORKERS' RIGHTS ISSUES.('Modernising labour law to meet the challenges of the 21st century')
June 20, 2007... A text-book case of European social compromise. So reads the own-initiative report adopted on 18 June at a special session by the European Parliament's Employment Committee in Strasbourg (40 votes in favour, one against and five abstentions)....

MEPS URGE BETTER SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS.(members of parliament)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Improving artists' ability to work in different EU member states is one of the main aims of a report adopted by the European Parliament on 7 June. The report, drawn up by Claire Gibault (ALDE, France), proposes the creation of a Europe-wide...

EMPLOYMENT POLICY : MEPS URGE MEMBER STATES TO RATIFY AND IMPLEMENT ILO CONVENTIONS.(European Parliament and the International Labour Organisation )
June 20, 2007... On 23 May, members of the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report aimed at encouraging member states and candidate states for accession to ratify and fully apply the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions in order to...

EMPLOYMENT : MINIMUM WAGE GREATLY VARIES ACROSS THE UNION.(European Union)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... In January 2007, 20 of the 27 EU member states had national laws establishing statutory minimum wages. These ranged from 92 a month in Bulgaria to 1,570 a month in Luxembourg. After being adjusted to take into account differences in purchasing...

HEALTH COUNCIL : MINISTERS ADVOCATE PRINCIPLES FOR TACKLING OBESITY.
June 20, 2007... The debate by the 27 on nutrition and physical activity focused on the guiding principles that should underpin the drive against obesity, particularly among children. At its sitting on 31 May, the Health Council also reacted favourably to the...

URBAN POLICY : MINISTERS COMMIT TO INTEGRATED URBAN DEVELOPMENT.(Council of Ministers for Urban Development and Territorial Cohesion)(Conference news)
June 20, 2007... The foundations of a new urban policy in Europe were laid down in black and white in the Leipzig Charter adopted at the informal Council of Ministers for Urban Development and Territorial Cohesion, held on 24 and 25 May. The text, along with an...

MOVING TOWARDS A DISABILITY ACTION PLAN.(Vladimir Spidla)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, is to present, at the beginning of December, a Disability Action Plan, devoted "above all to the transposition of the United Nations Convention" on...

GLOBALISATION ADJUSTMENT FUND : NO SUBSIDIES BEFORE THE AUTUMN.
June 20, 2007... Proposals for the first two cases in the Globalisation Adjustment Fund presented by France - for suppliers to the automobile manufacturers Peugeot and Renault - has ended. They are now in the hands of the cabinet of Commissioner for Employment...

WORKING TIME : ONE IN FIVE WORKERS PUTS IN EXCESSIVE' HOURS.(International Labour Organisation report)(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The 40-hour working week is tending to become the legal norm but, in fact, 22% of workers around the world are working more than 48 hours per week, according to a study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In total, 614.2 million...

COHESION POLICY : PARLIAMENT PROPOSES USE OF CRITERIA OTHER THAN GDP.(European Parliament and gross domestic product)
June 20, 2007... Should criteria other than per capita gross domestic product (GDP) be used to measure regions' development level? The European Parliament is of that opinion and maintains that the mid-term review of Cohesion Policy, set for 2009, could be the...

IGC 2007 / EUROPEAN COUNCIL : PARTIAL SUCCESS FOR A SOCIAL EUROPE'.(Intergovernmental Conference )
June 20, 2007... Despite what gloommongers or those who have only superficially read the conclusions of the EU summit of 21-22 June may say, the mandate given to the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) is a success for social Europe. It is a modest success but a...

FINANCIAL MARKETS : PES AND US DEMOCRATS URGE TIGHTER HEDGE FUND REGULATION.(Party of European Socialists)
June 20, 2007... A new transatlantic political alliance, launched on 4 June, is calling on G8 governments to take concrete action on hedge funds and private equity. The Party of European Socialists (PES), headed by President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, has...

IGC 2007/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : PROPOSALS ON SOCIAL MATTERS AND PUBLIC SERVICES.
June 20, 2007... The negotiating brief for the Intergovernmental Conference, presented by the German EU Presidency just prior to the summit opening, incorporates virtually all of the acquis of the 2004 IGC (the ex-Constitution). Three subjects in the social...

IGC 2007/EUROPEAN COUNCIL : PUBLIC SERVICES TO BE BETTER PROTECTED?(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... The Dutch had reached their limits. Confronted by the European Commission's investigation on their social housing system, they wanted to see certain issues spelled out in the conclusions of the European Council adopted on 23 June. This now will...

EMPLOYMENT : Q1 LABOUR COSTS UP 3.7%.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Total hourly labour costs in the EU27 rose at an annual rate of 3.7% during the first quarter of 2007, up from 2.8% for the previous quarter. The two main components of labour costs are wages and salaries and non-wage costs. In the EU27,...

AGEING : REFORMS CUT PENSION PROMISES, WARNS OECD.(Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)
June 20, 2007... Government-mandated retirement pensions are set to diminish considerably as a result of reforms adopted in European countries, predicts the OECD in a report published on 7 June. Presenting the pension panorama' on its 30 member states, the...

RETAINING SENIORS AT WORK.(Brief article)
June 20, 2007... Member states must intensify their efforts to retain seniors at work, stated the joint opinion of the Employment Committee and the Committee for Social Protection submitted to the EU's employment ministers on 30 May. "Although progress has been...