News
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14/02/2005
Gender equality report 2005 shows advances, but inequality remains
The 2005 gender equality report, which is available today, shows that while gender employment and education gaps are closing in the EU, the gender pay gap has remained almost unchanged. The report, compiled by the European Commission, provides an annual insight into gender equality in the EU.
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14/02/2005
Women and the elderly are crossing the digital divide, but the poor still lag behind, says new EU report
Women have overtaken men in the past three years in their pace of Internet take-up, according to a new Commission report. The over 55s are also increasingly gaining computer skills, and this trend is set to continue. However, the poorly educated and poorly paid are not catching up as quickly and this is denying them new opportunities. Education, age and income remain the most important areas in the digital divide, the report says.
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11/02/2005
Rail transport sector: Vladimir Spidla puts forward proposal on working conditions for railway staff that cross borders
Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, this week hailed a proposal for a directive laying down specific rules for working time, driving time and rest periods for railway staff who operate on the rail network of at least two Member States and cross borders during their working day. The directive enshrines an agreement reached last year by EU-level employers' and workers' representatives.
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09/02/2005
The new Social Agenda: an essential pillar of the new growth and jobs strategy
The Commission today launched its new Social Agenda for modernising Europe's social model under the revamped Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. The new agenda focuses on providing jobs and equal opportunities for all and ensuring that the benefits of the EU's growth and jobs drive reach everyone in society. By modernising labour markets and social protection systems, it will help people seize the opportunities created by international competition, technological advances and changing population patterns while protecting the most vulnerable in society.
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03/02/2005
Commissioner Spidla emphasises that the fight for gender equality must go on
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, today expressed his thanks to the Luxembourg Presidency for organising the Beijing+10 Conference with the support of the Commission.
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01/02/2005
New website on social dialogue
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities today launched a new website on social dialogue.
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27/01/2005
Member States need to embrace reform more decisively to create more growth and jobs, Commission reports show - Joint Employment Report (JER)
Progress was made in the last few years to complete the European Union's single market and improve the conditions for business, but much more needs to be done to increase the bloc's competitiveness through sounder public finances, more active labour policies, more productive investment - including in knowledge - and more integrated markets, in order to step up economic growth and job creation whilst protecting our environment. These conclusions were drawn in key reports looking at the implementation of multi-annual targets for the economy as a whole and the internal market, employment and environment in particular. The reports or "Implementation Package", will feed into the forthcoming mid-term review of the EU's Lisbon strategy and the Commission's report to the Spring European Council in March.
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27/01/2005
Member States need to embrace reform more decisively to create more growth and jobs, Commission reports show - Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion
Progress was made in the last few years to complete the European Union's single market and improve the conditions for business, but much more needs to be done to increase the bloc's competitiveness through sounder public finances, more active labour policies, more productive investment - including in knowledge - and more integrated markets, in order to step up economic growth and job creation whilst protecting our environment. These conclusions were drawn in key reports looking at the implementation of multi-annual targets for the economy as a whole and the internal market, employment and environment in particular. The reports or "Implementation Package", will feed into the forthcoming mid-term review of the EU's Lisbon strategy and the Commission's report to the Spring European Council in March.
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20/01/2005
Commission Conference on Disability in Sofia, Bulgaria
A Conference on equal opportunities for people with disabilities took place on 9-11 December 2004 in Bulgaria. As the European Commission finalised enlargement negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania and set out plans to start accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia, this event brought together participants from these 4 countries.
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20/01/2005
Restructuring has made industrial relations more important in the EU - new Commission report
Large-scale changes caused by globalisation are making industrial relations more, rather than less important in Europe, according to a new European Commission report. 'Industrial Relations in Europe 2004' highlights a growing trend towards company level negotiations, with workers' principal concern being job security, rather than short term financial gain.