News
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20/04/2007
European partners join lively debate on flexicurity
Today, over 400 representatives of workers and employers, NGOs and government will meet with the European Commission to debate the "flexicurity" approach. Flexicurity combines active labour market policies, flexible contractual arrangements, lifelong learning and modern social protection systems. It can help confront the challenges of globalisation and demographic ageing by ensuring that workers and employers are better equipped to manage change. The results of today's event will feed into the Commission's preparations for a policy communication on flexicurity at the end of June.
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16/04/2007
Fair Trade public purchasing as a tool for sustainable consumption and production patterns
This is the final conference of the “Fair Procura” project, addressing the issue of Fair Trade considerations into public procurement. Brussels, 19th April 2007.
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02/04/2007
Cohesion policy 2007-2013 already on fast track to deliver growth and jobs
The European Commission announced today that preparations for the new cohesion policy are now at full speed to deliver more growth and quality employment to the European regions. Programmes worth 90% of the total budget of cohesion policy are now being negotiated. Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, joined Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner in praising all Member States for submitting their strategic plans and priorities for the new programming period in time and asked them to keep up the pace for the remaining operational programmes.
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30/03/2007
EU signs new UN treaty on disability rights
The European Community will today sign a new UN treaty on disability rights on its opening day for signature in New York. This is the first time the Community signs a core UN human rights convention. The Convention, which covers the rights of people with disabilities aims to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with everyone else. It will provide protection for 50 million EU citizens and 650 million people with disabilities worldwide.
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28/03/2007
Stakeholder Conference on Flexicurity, April 20th, 2007
Flexicurity is a widely discussed topic in the current labour market and social policy debate. It promotes a combination of flexible labour markets and high levels of employment and income security and it is thus seen as a possible answer to Europe's challenge of how to maintain and improve competitiveness whilst preserving the European social model.
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15/03/2007
Consultation on labour law – last two weeks for contributions!
The Commission's public consultation on "Modernising labour law to meet the challenges of the 21st century" – launched with a Green Paper four months ago – is now nearing the deadline for contributions.
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15/03/2007
Gas sector unions and employers launch EU-level cooperation
With the backing of the European Commission, trade unions and employers in the gas sector today formally launched an EU-level social dialogue. The new committee will give social partners the possibility to contribute to EU policies affecting the sector, such as the EU's new energy package and the ongoing liberalisation of the gas industry.
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14/03/2007
New local knowledge network for jobs and growth
The European Commission is going local in its drive for more jobs and growth in Europe with a new online tool to link up local economies. The 'Linking Local Actors' project will network people and organisations creating jobs and prosperity at local level so they can share good ideas across the EU.
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13/03/2007
More information about Flexicurity on Europa
Flexicurity can be defined as a policy strategy to enhance, at the same time and in a deliberate way, the flexibility of labour markets, work organisations and labour relations on the one hand, and security –employment security and social security – on the other.
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07/03/2007
Women driving EU job growth – but still face barriers to equality
Three out of four new jobs created in the EU are being taken by women, but important gaps with men remain, according to a new European Commission report. Despite higher educational achievements, women continue to be employed less – and paid less – than men. The 2007 'Annual report on equality between women and men' will be submitted to EU leaders at the Spring European Council on 8-9 March. The report is the first since the Commission launched its Gender Roadmap and EU leaders adopted the Pact for Gender Equality in March 2006.