European Social Policy articles from November 2003

European Social Policy archives from November 2003

CONTROVERSIAL GENDER EQUALITY DIRECTIVE TABLED BY COMMISSION.
November 15, 2003... Gender discrimination will be banned outside the workplace as well as within if the EU Member States accept a controversial proposal for a Council Directive tabled by the European Commission on November 5. The proposal could lead to a huge...

PARLIAMENT SUPPORTS ACTION PLANS FOR EDUCATION, YOUTH AND CULTURE.
November 15, 2003... The European Parliament has adopted three legislative Resolutions for action programmes for organisations in the fields of education and training, culture and youth. The Resolutions were adopted on November 6 in Parliament's first reading as...

IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARABLE ACROSS THE ENLARGED UNION?(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... Do you spend enough time with your family? What do you think of social services where you live? Are you happy with your income? How is the public transport in your area? These are some of the questions asked to some 26,000 citizens from the EU...

EESC BACKS NEW DISEASE CONTROL CENTRE.
November 15, 2003... The Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an Opinion at its plenary session on October 29-30 on the proposal to set up a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Rapporteur Adrien Bedossa says that the Commission's July 23...

NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS ON SOCIAL FUNDS FOR 2004-2006.
November 15, 2003... A series of national seminars was launched on October 27, on the mid-term review of the European Social Fund (ESF) for 2000-2006. The seminars will look at the progress of the ESF so far and assess challenges for 2004-2006, especially in view...

EMPLOYERS DELAY RESPONSE ON OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS.(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... The Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) has delayed giving its response on the European Commission's Communication on supplementary pensions. Although ETUC, the European Trade Union Confederation, has said it...

VOCATIONAL TRAINING ESSENTIAL TO COMBAT PROBLEMS OF EU'S NEIGHBOURS.(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... The countries surrounding the EU have critically high unemployment, severe skill gaps and a dire lack of vocational training. These are some of the findings of a new report published by an Italian-based EU agency, the European Training...

UNEMPLOYMENT: EU SEPTEMBER JOBLESS RATE STICKS AT 8%.(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... The average unemployment rate in the 15-nation EU was 8% in September 2003, unchanged from August, according to figures released from Eurostat, the EU's Statistical Office, on November 5. However, the rate is slightly up on the same time last...

UNEMPLOYMENT: OECD RATE RISES TO 7.2% IN APRIL.(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... The standardised unemployment rate for the OECD area rose to 7.2% in September 2003, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous month and 0.2 percentage point higher than a year earlier. In the Euro area, the standardised unemployment...

DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ON-LINE GUIDE PUBLISHED.(Brief Article)
November 15, 2003... A new on-line health and safety guide on dangerous substances was published on October 22 by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. The site contains information on the main risks associated with working with dangerous substances...