European Social Policy articles from May 2007

European Social Policy archives from May 2007

CALLS FOR TENDER.
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has launched several calls for tender: the first for an investigation into occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields for personnel working with and around medical magnetic resonance imaging equipment (VT/2007/017),...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : CIVIL JUSTICE AND DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMMES APPROVED.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Political agreement was reached on the EU Civil Justice and Drugs Prevention and Information programmes for the period 2007-2013 during the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 19 April. In both cases, the common position will be...

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES : COMMISSION COMMUNICATES WITHOUT MAKING PROPOSALS.(European Commission)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission, on 10 May, adopted a new communication to help member states meet the challenges of demographic change. It looks at how Europeans can achieve a better work-life balance and how best to support families so they can have...

CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL SERVICES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Collectif SSIG-FR(Social Services of General Interest, France) is organising a conference in Brussels (Residence Palace) on 5 June entitled Social and health services of general interest: Towards an EU strategy?', in collaboration with six...

ETUC ON HEALTH SERVICES.(European Trade Union Confederation)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is concerned about the risk of health services being put back into the Services Directive (see Europolitics 3303 and 3304). Certain liberal (ALDE) MEPs "who have never accepted the compromise...

EU HANDBOOK ON INTEGRATION.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission will launch, at a meeting of EU integration ministers in Potsdam, Germany, on 10 May, a European handbook on integration', highlighting best practices and lessons learned within the EU in the integration of immigrants....

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : EU INTERIOR MINISTERS LOOK TO IMPROVE INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANTS.
May 21, 2007... EU interior and integration ministers from the bloc's 27 member states are set to discuss ways of tackling integration of migrants to the EU, such as anti-radicalisation methods and how to involve religious leaders in dialogue with each other....

INFORMAL HEALTH COUNCIL : KYPRIANOU TO PRESENT FIRST RESULTS OF CONSULTATION.(Markos Kyprianou )(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will present to the EU's health ministers, meeting for an informal Council in Aachen on 20 April, the results of the consultation on health services launched in September 2006 (see Europolitics 3143). That...

ADVANCED THERAPIES : MIKOLA IK WANTS TO REPEAT EP ADOPTION PROCEDURE.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... "I will respect the result of the vote, only the alternative which is presented does not have the support of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)," declared MEP Miroslav Mikola ik (EPP-ED, Slovakia) on the eve...

EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS : PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR THE REVISION OF SOCIAL LEGISLATION.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... In a resolution voted on 10 May, the European Parliament again urged the European Commission to take immediate measures to ensure the correct implementation in all member states of legislation concerning the consultation and information of...

TRANSLATION COMPETITION FOR SCHOOLS.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... A competition for schools is to be launched by the European Commission in order to encourage young Europeans to use their language skills. The competition, which will take place on 14 November, will involve pupils in schools across the EU...

INTERVIEW WITH MEP FRANCOISE GROSSETETE (EPP-ED, FRANCE) : ADVANCED THERAPIES: THE VATICAN INTERFERES.(Interview)
May 21, 2007... Francoise Grossetete was the European Parliament's rapporteur for several of the dossiers relating to the regulation of medicines in the EU. And every time, she notes, problems were caused by ethical questions which she considered to be the...

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION TRUCK TOUR.(European Commission's 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All truck tour)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... As part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, the European Commission launched a Europe-wide truck tour in Strasbourg on 25 April to inform people about their rights to equal treatment and the benefits of diversity. The tour will...

STRUCTURAL FUNDS : APPROVAL OF NATIONAL FRAMEWORK PRIORITIES CONTINUES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Commission has endorsed National Strategic Reference Frameworks from Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Cyprus that describe the modalities for the use of structural funds that will be allocated to them between 2007 and 2013. For Germany,...

ILLEGAL WORK : A PROPOSAL FOR SANCTIONS ON EMPLOYERS.
May 21, 2007... European Commission has presented, on 16 May, a proposal for a Directive that aims to reduce the employment of third-country nationals who are illegally staying in the EU. The proposal provides for sanctions on employers, not workers. ...

ARCELOR MITTAL WORKS COUNCIL.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The world's largest steel producer, Arcelor Mittal, is reported to have a Joint European Works Council (EWC). On 18 April, Arcelor Mittal's management and employee representatives concluded an agreement in Aviles (Spain). This new agreement,...

CULTURE : ARTISTS NEED PRACTICAL SUPPORT TO INCREASE MOBILITY, SAY MEPS.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The introduction of a Europe-wide register, in which artists can set out their professional experience and details of past employers, is one idea proposed by the European Parliament's Culture Committee, in a new report adopted on 7 May. ...

ASYLUM : ASYLUM-SEEKER CANNOT BE EXPELLED PENDING APPEAL OUTCOME.(Asebeha Gebremedhin)
May 21, 2007... On 26 April, the EU Court of Human Rights unanimously condemned France for having refused asylum and for nearly expelling an Eritrean journalist. Above all, the Court criticised French legislation that does not grant suspending effect to...

EMU : BUOYANT GROWTH AND JOB CREATION TO CONTINUE INTO 2008.(European economic forecasts)
May 21, 2007... As the EU economy continues to firm up, the European Commission is projecting an almost uninterrupted growth cycle for 2007 and 2008 in the Union. The Commission's economic forecasts, published on 7 May, anticipate growth of 2.6% this year in...

CALL FOR PROPOSALS.
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has launched an open call for proposals (VP/2007/005) for "restructuring, well-being at work and financial participation" (second phase). The budget for this call for proposals is 1,800,000. The deadlines for the...

CARING FOR THE HOMELESS.(creation of a network of health workers by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... A European network of health workers serving the homeless has just been created. Steered by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), it aims to bring together health care workers, both professionals...

SOCIAL FUNDS : CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS COST DEARLY TO BELGIUM.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... For simply being late in transferring an original document, Belgium has lost the possibility of contesting the reimbursement of more than 600,000 in subsidies to which it was entitled under the European Social Funds (ESF). The EU Court of First...

SOCIAL SECURITY : CLARIFICATIONS NEEDED ON PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION.(European Data Protection Supervisor regulations)
May 21, 2007... In an opinion published in the Official Journal, the European data protection supervisor (EDPS) states that the implementing regulation on the coordination of social security systems respects "basic data protection provisions". It nonetheless...

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES : COMMISSION COMMUNICATES WITHOUT MAKING PROPOSALS.(European Commission)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission, on 10 May, adopted a new communication to help member states meet the challenges of demographic change. It looks at how Europeans can achieve a better work-life balance and how best to support families so they can have...

PENSION FUNDS : COMMISSION INVESTIGATES COMPLAINTS AGAINST NINE COUNTRIES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has decided to send letters of formal notice to nine member states(1) requesting information about their tax rules governing the payment of dividends and/or interest to foreign pension funds. The Commission opened formal...

ILLEGAL WORK : COMMISSION PLANS CRACKDOWN ON EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission's 16 May proposal to fine companies that employ illegal workers is further evidence of its wider desire, dating back to the 1990s, to combat illegal work at European level. A communication in 1998 on "non-declared...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : COUNCIL ASSESSES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INDICATORS.
May 21, 2007... The Council of Ministers plans to adopt conclusions as well as a comprehensive report on member states' implementation of education and training indicators for women' on 30 May. These measures are being carried out in an effort to assess the...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : COUNCIL REACHES CONSENSUS ON FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.(Council of the European Union)
May 21, 2007... Aside from immigration, ministers attending the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 20 April in Luxembourg turned to a range of other home affairs' issues, including the creation of Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABIT), the Visa Information...

WORK-LIFE BALANCE : COUNCIL SET TO LAUNCH ALLIANCE FOR FAMILIES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Council of EU Employment Ministers is expected to approve the establishment of an Alliance for Families' on 30 May, introducing a flexible method of coordination. Member states are expected, in their national reform plans,ato make...

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN : DAPHNE III PROGRAMME TO BE ADOPTED IN LATE MAY.
May 21, 2007... The vote on second reading at the European Parliament on the Daphne III programme (Lissy Groner's report), scheduled for 10 May, has been postponed to the 21-24 May session in Strasbourg. This vote should put an end to the difficulties attached...

HEALTH SERVICES : DISCORD OVER PUTTING HEALTH CARE BACK INTO THE SERVICES DIRECTIVE.
May 21, 2007... A European Parliament committee vote, on 8 May, in favour of putting health care back into the Services Directive has led to mixed reactions among MEPs. Rapporteur Bernadette Vergnaud has nevertheless confirmed that the report will be reviewed...

DUTCH OPEN UP LABOUR MARKET.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... In a letter addressed to the European Commission, the authorities of the Netherlands have announced that they plan to give nationals of the eight new EU member states (EU8) unrestricted access to the country's labour market from 1 May, without...

SOCIAL SECURITY : ECJ: BELGIUM'S REFUSAL TO EXTEND ENTITLEMENT TO MOROCCANS ILLEGAL.(European Union Court of Justice)
May 21, 2007... The EU Court of Justice considered that Belgian legislation concerning the minimum income guarantee to elderly persons is contrary to the principle of non-discrimination in the area of social security (17 April 2007, Mamate El Youssfi, C...

ECJ TO RULE IN SOCIAL DUMPING CASES.(European Union Court of Justice)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... On 23 May, the EU Court of Justice's Advocates-General Paolo Mengozzi of Italy and Miguel Poiares Maduro of Portugal will give their conclusions in the two cases (Laval un Partneri and Viking) opposing Nordic-Swedish trade unions on the one...

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK : ELECTROMAGNETIC DIRECTIVE TO BE REVISED FOR MRI?(magnetic resonance imaging)
May 21, 2007... Directive 2004/40/EC establishes minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from electromagnetic fields (used in the electrical industry, telecoms, etc). These restrictions are, however,...

EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY CALLS FOR PROPOSALS.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has launched two calls for proposals (VP/2007/007 and VP/2007/008) to strengthen the European employment strategy. The first is for projects contributing to the evaluation of the strategy and the second is for follow-up...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES : EP CALLS FOR DISABLED WOMEN TO BE INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETY.
May 21, 2007... In an own-initiative report voted on 26 April, the European Parliament called on the European Commission and member states to guarantee the elimination of existing obstacles to achieve equal rights and opportunities for disabled women and girls...

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIESCOMMISSION NOW A EUROVISION PARTNER.(European Commission and the Eurovision Song Contest)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission was, for the first time, an official partner of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 12 May in Helsinki. It proudly noted that, for the first time in almost 20 years, an official EU initiative was associated...

EDUCATION : ERASMUS POPULARITY SOARING IN NEW MEMBER STATES.(Erasmus University)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... A total of 154,553 students took part in the EU's Erasmus university exchange scheme in thea2005-2006 academic year, according to figures released by the European Commission. The figures mark a 7.3% increase on those for 2004-2005. The...

ADVANCED THERAPIES : ETHICAL CONTROVERSY CONTINUES IN LEAD-UP TO KEY VOTE ON 25 APRIL.
May 21, 2007... The debate was lively prior to the vote on advanced medical therapies in the European Parliament on 25 April. The legislation will make all the difference for a number of patients suffering from rare diseases who currently are not allowed...

UNEMPLOYMENT : EU JOBLESS RATE STABLE AT 7.3%.(European Union)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Seasonally adjusted unemployment in the eurozone stood at 7.2% in March 2007, compared with 7.3% inaFebruary and 8.2% in March 2006. In the EU27, the unemployment rate was 7.3% in March 2007, the same as in February (8.2% in March 2006),...

RACISM - XENOPHOBIA : EU RAISES WARNING FINGER ON RACIAL HATRED.(European Union)
May 21, 2007... After six years of political debates, member states last month reached an agreement on a common law against racism, xenophobia and the denial of genocide, but critics to the deal say the legislation is toothless. Under the new law, agreed...

EU RATIFIES VISA AND READMISSION DEAL WITH RUSSIA.(European Union)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Justice and Home Affairs Council approved on 19 April the conclusion of visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Russia. The agreements were ratified last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin and are due to come into force on...

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has launched a restricted call for proposals (VP/2007/006) for national awareness-raising activities in the fight against discrimination. The deadline for submitting proposals is 25 May 2007. E-mail:...

SOCIAL HOUSING : FRANCE MUST OPEN SAVINGS SCHEMES TO ALL BANKS.
May 21, 2007... Following a year-long investigation, the European Commission, on 10 May, ordered the French government to open up its savings book schemes known as Livret A' and Livret bleu'. France has nine months in which to amend its legislation to allow...

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS.(Fundamental Rights and Citizenship for 2007-2013)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The EU Council adopted on 19 April a decision establishing the financial instrument Fundamental Rights and Citizenship for 2007-2013, with a budget of 93.8 million. This instrument aims at supporting respect for fundamental rights and at...

GENDER MAINSTREAMING.
May 21, 2007... The European Commission has launched a restricted call for proposals for the improvement of gender mainstreaming in national policies and programmes. The deadline for submitting proposals is 13 June 2007. Email:...

REIMBURSEMENT OF TREATMENT ABROAD : GREEK LEGISLATION INFRINGES FREEDOM TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
May 21, 2007... "National legislation which excludes reimbursement by a national social security institution of the costs occasioned by treatment of persons insured with it in private hospitals in another member state" infringes the principle of freedom to...

GREEK RETIREMENT AIDaGETS GREEN LIGHT.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... On 10 May, the European Commission approved a Greek state aid scheme on early retirement, closing an enquiry opened in February 2006. The plan benefits the retirement scheme of the Hellenic Telecommunication Organisation (OTE), which is a...

BUDGET 2008 : GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER AGRICULTURE.
May 21, 2007... For the first time since 2004, the Barroso Commission has proposed more expenditure for growth and employment than for agriculture in its annual budget. This was revealed in the draft 2008 budget adopted by the EU executive on 2 May. For...

INFORMAL HEALTH COUNCIL : HEALTH CARE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBER STATES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Supported by the common principles adopted in June 2006, the German, Portuguese and Slovenian health ministers, forming the presidential trio for the 18 months from January 2007 to the end of June 2008, have launched an appeal for mainly...

HEALTH SERVICES - DOSSIER : HEALTH CONSULTATION SUMMARY: OBSERVATIONS AND PROPOSALS.
May 21, 2007... In the summary of the consultation carried out by the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (SANCO), presented during the informal Health Council on 20 April, the most striking element is the lack of reliable...

HEALTH SECTOR CLEARANCE.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... On 24 April, the European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition by the US-based General Electric Company of the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) business of Abbott Laboratories, also of the US. Abbott is a world leader in supplying IVD tests,...

SOCIAL SECURITY : HOW EXPORTABLE' ARE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The social security sector has once again been shaken. Backing the appeal by the European Commission, the Advocate-General of the EC Court of Justice, Juliane Kokott, recommends cancelling the inscription of several allowances in an annex to...

IS GERMANY SLOW TO PAY ITS DEBTS?(health care costs)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... 'We are all in favour of discussing patient mobility, but it is also high time for each country to meet the costs due for care provided to its nationals abroad. I have one particular country in mind, whose debts date back to 2001.' The...

INFORMAL HEALTH COUNCIL : KYPRIANOU WANTS TO SPEED UP WORK ON HEALTH CARE SERVICES.(Markos Kyprianou)
May 21, 2007... At the informal Council of Health Ministers, held in Aachen on 19 and 20 April, European Commissioner Markos Kyprianou was on hand primarily to sum up the outcome of the consultation on health care services launched last September. He also...

LAW ON TEMPORARY WORK CHALLENGED.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Italian law on part-time work is being challenged by a German-speaking plaintiff from the autonomous province of Bozen. The EU Court of Justice will have to rule in the dispute between Ruth Volgger, Othmar Michaeler and Subito GmbH, on the...

LIFELONG LEARNING LAUNCH.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The EU's new funding programme for education and training activities is to be formally launched at a conference in Berlin on 6-7 May. The programme, named Lifelong Learning, is administered by the European Commission, and has a budget of 6,970...

PUBLIC HEALTH : LITTLE DATA AVAILABLE ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF RADIO FREQUENCY FIELDS.
May 21, 2007... There is no new proof of the risks of prolonged exposure to radio frequency fields on human health, and the data base for this evaluation is limited. Accordingly, research into the issue has to continue, notes the Scientific Committee on...

HEALTH SERVICES : MEPS WANT TO PUT HEALTH BACK INTO THE SERVICES DIRECTIVE.(members of the European parliament)
May 21, 2007... There was a surprise result in the IMCO Committee on 8 May. Bernadette Vergnaud's (PES, France) aim, supported by some members of the EPP-ED, to agree on a directive that would allow for some control over the flow of patients and health...

MERCURY MEASURING DEVICES.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Council on 19 April reached a common position with two changes to the Commission's draft amending Directive 76/769/EEC on the marketing of measuring devices containing mercury. The first change is a two-year transition period for barometers...

ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION : MINISTERS APPROVE EMERGENCY PRELIMINARY RULING PROCEDURE.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Council of Justice Ministers, on 20 April, approved the principle of establishing a new ultra-rapid procedure for certain questions of justice and home affairs as proposed by the president of the EU Court of Justice in November. Ministers,...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : MINISTERS SET UP INTEGRATION DISCUSSION GROUP.
May 21, 2007... EU interior and integration ministers have agreed on closer collaboration to avoid intercultural clashes like last year's Mohammed cartoon protests in and outside Europe, while still insisting on keeping integration policies a strictly national...

EDUCATION : MINISTERS TO TRY AND WEED OUT BOGUS QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCIES.
May 21, 2007... The setting up of a Europe-wide register of agencies involved in assessing and accrediting higher education institutions was one of the main outcomes of a ministerial meeting on the Bologna process, held on 17-18 May. The aim of the...

EMPLOYMENT : MORE INFORMATION ON PAY WITHIN THE EU.(European Union)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Parliament's Employment Committee voted,aon 8 May, in favour of a report by Jan Anderson (PES, Sweden) on a draft regulation amending the current provisions in the organisation of an opinion poll conducted among the labour force in...

SALARIES : NO EU LEGISLATION POSSIBLE FOR THE FRENCH GOLDEN PARACHUTE'.(European Union and executive compensation)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... "Impossible, unless the Treaty is modified," was the European Commission's response to the proposal made by Arnaud Lagardere (owner of the group with the same name, and shareholder, among others, of EADS) for EU legislation on golden...

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : NO TANGIBLE PROGRESS ON ROME III DIVORCE GUIDELINES.
May 21, 2007... The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on 19 April in Luxembourg failed to move forward on guiding principles for further negotiations on the jurisdiction and applicable law in matrimonial matters. The so-called Rome III Regulation would help...

WORKING CONDITIONS : ONE IN 20 WORKERS SUBJECTED TO BULLYING AND HARASSMENT.
May 21, 2007... One in 20 workers reports having been exposed to bullying and/or harassment in the previous 12-month period and a similar proportion reports having been exposed to violence, according a study published by the European Foundation for the...

EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS : PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR THE REVISION OF SOCIAL LEGISLATION.(European Parliament)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... In a resolution voted on 10 May, the European Parliament again urged the Commission to take immediate measures to ensure the correct implementation in all member states of legislation concerning the consultation and information of workers. The...

SERVICES OF GENERAL INTEREST : PUBLIC SERVICES, SSGI, HEALTH,... AN OVERVIEW OF OPEN DOSSIERS.(social services of general interest)
May 21, 2007... The publication of the White Paper in May 2004 on services of general interest (SGI) in the EU resulted in a more specific reflection on social services of general interest (SSGI). In addition certain exclusions from the services directive...

ADVANCED THERAPIES : RAPPORTEUR FAILS IN EFFORTS TO INCLUDE ETHICAL CLAUSES.
May 21, 2007... "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." That is the impression created by the result of the controversial report by MEP Miroslav Mikola ik (EPP-ED, Slovakia) on inovative therapies. MEPs voted by 403 votes for, 246 against and 11...

SOCIAL EUROPE : REALISTICALLY, SOCIAL PROGRESS IS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
May 21, 2007... Outside of the ordinary fare (labour law, social dialogue, social security, etc.), five important matters count in today's social agenda. Is the social sphere missing from the constitutional talks? The latest developments tend to suggest...

REPORT ON GENDER EQUALITY.(European Commission report)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... As part of its road map for gender equality, the European Commission, on 26 April, published its report on achievements in 2006 and predictions for 2007 in this area. The report takes an individual look at the situation in the different areas...

EDUCATION : RESEARCH NEEDS A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE, SAYS PRESIDENCY.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Education ministers are to discuss how to make better use of research in the development of policy-making, at their next Council meeting in May. According to a discussion paper released by the German EU Presidency, it is planned that...

RURAL ENVIRONMENT TRAINING.(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The social partners of services in the rural environment (CEETTAR for employers and EFFAT for employees), a sector suffering from a shortage of skilled workers, presented on 2 May a proposal for a common-core syllabus for continuous training....

SAFETY OF WORKERS.(Ilda Figueiredo's report)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The European Parliament adopted, on 26 April by a show of hands, a report by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE-NGL, Portugal) concerning theaproposal for a directive amending Directives 89/391/EEC, 83/447/EEC, 91/383/EEC, 92/29/EEC and 94/33/EC with a view...

RECONCILIATION OF PROFESSIONAL AND PRIVATE LIFE : SECOND STAGE OF CONSULTATION: EC PROPOSES TO UPDATE LEGISLATION.(European Commission)
May 21, 2007... The European Commission was expected, on 10 May, to open the second stage of consultations with the social partners at European level, on how people can balance their work, private and family lives, and, in particular, on the content of...

SOCIAL HOUSING : SECTOR CONCERNED BY COMMISSION DECISION ON LIVRET A'.(sociale pour l'habitat)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... The Union sociale pour l'habitat (USH, Europe's social housing union) is "very concerned" about the European Commission's decision to force the French government to allow all banks established in France to operate the savings book schemes known...

SGI REPORT DUE OUT BEFORE SUMMER.(services of general interest)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Promised for the end of 2006, and then for March, and most recently for April 2007, the European Commission's communication on Services of General Interest has finally been withdrawn from the provisional planning stage. "It will be completed...

EXTRACTS : SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN 2006: TWO OPPOSING FORCES DO BATTLE.(excerpt from 'Social Developments in Europe 2006')(Excerpt)
May 21, 2007... The recently published summary of 'Social Developments in Europe 2006' deserves a careful read, if only because of the quality of it authors: the European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education and Health and Safety (ETUI-REHS), the...

STRUCTURAL FUNDS : SOCIAL HOUSING NEEDS TO BE FINANCED IN ALL MEMBER STATES.
May 21, 2007... Members of the European Parliament are calling for a fresh debate on giving all EU member states access to the Structural Funds for the renovation of social housing. Financing for housing under the Structural Funds is currently available only...

WORKING CONDITIONS : SOCIAL PARTNERS SIGN AGREEMENT ON FIGHTING HARASSMENT AT WORK.
May 21, 2007... In the presence of Employment Commissioner Vladimir pidla, John Monks, representing the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Philippe de Buck from BusinessEurope (private employees), Rainer Plass from the CEEP (public employees) and...

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SMES.(small and medium sized companies)(Brief article)
May 21, 2007... Using public procurement to encourage the development of Corporate Social Responsibility within small businesses is one of the recommendations in a new report published by the European Commission on 3 May. The report has been drawn up by a...

THE RIGHT TO SELF-FULFILMENT AT WORK.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 21, 2007... This publication, drafted by three researchers from the Free University of Brussels - Anna Cieslar, Andre Nayer and Bernadette Smeesters - seeks to formulate a comprehensive concept of self-fulfilment that incorporates its main components...