News
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28/06/2007
The European Social Fund celebrates 50 years investing in people
Today in Potsdam, Germany, a high-level event to mark the official 50th birthday of the European Social Fund (ESF) is bringing together EU Ministers and key players in the Fund. Organised by the German Presidency, the event will reflect on how the ESF is helping millions of Europeans join 0c89 and progress in the job market. The next generation of ESF programmes (2007-2013) will have a budget of EUR 77 billion for 27 Member States, providing funding in areas like training, ensuring better access to jobs, fighting discrimination and improving public services.
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27/06/2007
Cohesion policy 2007-2013: Commission agrees plan and priorities with Romania
Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner and Employment and social affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla have reached agreement with Romania on its national plan and priorities for Cohesion policy 2007-2013. In their National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), Romanian authorities describe how they plan to use EU funding worth € 19.21 billion over seven years in line with the Lisbon agenda. The adoption procedure has now been completed on the Romanian framework, including its priorities, indicative annual allocations, and list of operational programmes.
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27/06/2007
Commission acts to close gaps in race equality rules
The Commission has sent formal requests to 14 Member States to fully implement EU rules banning discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin (2000/43/CE). The countries concerned – Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia – have two months to respond, failing which the Commission can take them to the European Court of Justice. The Race Equality Directive was agreed in 2000 with a deadline for implementation into national law by 2003.
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27/06/2007
Commission closes Lettori case following firm assurances from Italy
The European Commission has received firm assurances from the Italian authorities that national legislation governing employment conditions for former foreign language assistants ("Lettori") in Italian universities is effectively applied. The legislation concerned had been judged compatible with Community law by the European Court of Justice in July 2006. As a result, the Commission has decided to close the infringement procedure against Italy, which had remained open while the Commission sought assurances.
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27/06/2007
Flexicurity: getting more people into good jobs
The Commission today proposes the establishment of common principles of flexicurity to promote more and better jobs by combining flexibility and security for workers and companies. Flexicurity strategies can help modernise European labour markets and better address the opportunities and challenges of globalisation. They include at the same time flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, active labour market policies, comprehensive lifelong learning strategies and modern social protection systems providing adequate income support during periods of unemployment. The Commission also sets out a number of typical pathways to help Member States draw up their own national strategies for flexicurity and learn from each other's experiences and best practices. In line with the EU's Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, the common principles of flexicurity aim to ensure that more Europeans get the most out of today's fast-changing global economy.
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25/06/2007
First two applications for EGF money approved by Commission
Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimír Špidla today announced that the first two applications for EGF assistance have been approved by the Commission and have been put before the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for decision. The first two EGF applications concern the French car secto 0a17 r and relate to suppliers of Peugeot-Citroën and Renault, respectively. The requested contributions from the EGF are €2,558,250 in the first case and €1,258,000 in the second. Both applications aim to assist workers made redundant due to company failures in a climate of changing global trade patterns in the car sector.
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22/06/2007
Cohesion policy 2007-2013: Commission approves the national strategy and priorities for Bulgaria
Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner and Employment and social affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla have reached agreement with Bulgaria on its national plan and priorities for Cohesion policy 2007-2013. In their National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) the Bulgarian authorities describe how they are going to invest EU funding worth € 6.8 billion over seven years in line with the so-called Lisbon agenda. The adoption procedure has now been completed, with a Commission decision on the Bulgarian framework, including its priorities, indicative annual allocations, and list of operational programmes.
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20/06/2007
Commission welcomes Parliament's report on Pension Portability directive
Commenting today on the European Parliament's vote on the Commission's proposal for a directive on the portability of pension rights, Vladimír Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities welcomed the Parliament's report on the original Commission proposal. He said "The Commission had made a much more ambitious proposal which would have enabled workers to enjoy true portability of their pensions. I still believe that the Parliament's report is a real step in the right direction. I am encouraged by the high level of debate on what is a complex and sensitive issue. Today's report will greatly contribute to ensuring mobile workers face fewer barriers and that supplementary provision will continue to be successful and sustainable."
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20/06/2007
EU plays active role in successful International Labour Conference
The 2007 session of the International Labour Conference has successfully adopted a convention on work in the fishing sector, a resolution on sustainable enterprises and paved the way for strengthening the ILO in the context of globalisation and decent work. The European Union played a key role in the discussions and Commissioner Vladimír Špidla represented the EU Commission.
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19/06/2007
Cohesion policy 2007-2013: Commission approves the national strategy and priorities for Slovenia
Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner and Employment and social affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla congratulated the Slovenian authorities for reaching agreement with the European Commission on the national plan and priorities for Cohesion policy 2007-2013. In their National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) the Slovenian authorities describe how they are going to invest EU funding of € 4 101 million that they will receive over seven years to deliver growth and jobs to their regions. The adoption procedure has now been completed as the European Commission issued its decision on elements of the Slovenian NSRF, including priorities, indicative annual allocations, and list of operational programmes.