News
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12/12/2005
Stop that noise!
The European Noise at Work Summit held in Bilbao (Spain) today became the final event of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2005. Giving an opportunity to discuss challenges and future strategies for a better control of noise at work the Summit also provided an overview of the different measures and good practices applied across Europe to tackle this issue.
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07/12/2005
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, December 8-9, Brussels
The Council meeting will take place 8-9 December in Brussels. The Employment and Social Affairs points will be taken on 8 December, beginning at 10h00. The meeting will be chaired by Minister Johnson (working time) and Minister Hutton (all other points). The Commission will be represented by Commissioner Spidla.
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01/12/2005
Commission to outline measures to help the 'active inclusion' of people with disabilities in the EU
The European Commission will today put forward concrete measures designed to improve the lives of disabled people in the European Union during the 2006-2007 period. The Communication's overall aim is to improve the 'active inclusion' of disabled people through a range of initiatives and measures, including raising disability awareness among small and medium sized companies, reviewing how the European Social Fund can help support employment, training and equal opportunities for disabled people and promoting the concept of independent living for disabled people. These measures will be outlined at European Day of People with Disabilities conference in Brussels.
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30/11/2005
Launching the European industrial relations dictionary: A clear insight into the workings of industrial relations at European level
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, the Dublin-based EU agency, publishes the European industrial relations dictionary, a comprehensive collection of the most commonly used terms in employment and industrial relations at EU level today.
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28/11/2005
83% of European companies with 'diversity in the workplace' policies see business benefits - Commission report
Diversity policies make good business sense say 83% of the companies who have adopted them, a new European Commission survey reveals. The main business benefits include being able to recruit from a wider selection of people, being able to keep better workers longer, improved community relations and an enhanced company image. Yet nearly half of all companies responding to the survey still have to implement a diversity policy. While companies in the north and west of the EU have wider use of and experience in diversity policies, those in southern Europe and the new EU Member States stressed their need for more information on how to develop them. The new report focuses on diversity policies promoting non-discrimination on grounds of ethnic or racial origin, disability, religion or belief, age and sexual orientation in the workplace.
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22/11/2005
ESF Projects Forum
In 2000-2006, the federal share of the European Social Fund comes up to some 72 million Euro in Belgium (9%). Today, a special Forum was held in Brussels to present the results of the country programming within this period, including an exhibition introducing all 26 federal ESF projects.
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22/11/2005
One year of press activities of Vladimir Spidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Together with the Barroso Commission, Vladimir Spidla completed his first year as Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities today. On this occasion, Commissioner Spidla met the press at an informal reception in Brussels and presented both his achievements so far and plans for 2006. "It is not much about looking back, but about having ambitious plans for the future. Much has been done, but there is much more to be done."
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24/10/2005
London Tripartite Summit to discuss social partners' contribution to the future of the EU
EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will today ask the European social partners (employer and trade union organisations) what economic and social reforms they advocate to adapt to globalisation and sustain Europe's social model. The two leaders will attend the informal Tripartite Social Summit in London, along with EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and representatives of the social partners. The meeting is the social partners' final opportunity to provide input into the Heads of Government Summit on the future of the EU's economic and social model at Hampton Court, UK on 27 October.
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21/10/2005
Quick Guide to EU employment and social policies
A "Quick Guide to EU employment and social policies" is now available on the EUROPA website.
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20/10/2005
Special summit on how best to meet the challenges of globalisation and ageing
Europe must reform and modernise its policies to preserve its values. Modernisation is essential to continue keep Europe's historically high levels of prosperity, social cohesion, environmental protection and quality of life. The European Commission's Report 'European Values in a Globalised World', its contribution to the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government on 27 October in the UK states that unless we are able to change, the forces of global competition, the impact of new technologies and our ageing population will call our economic success and the financial viability of our social systems - pensions, welfare, health - into question. There is an urgent need to move ahead with economic reforms and the modernisation of our social systems.