Governments agree to extend parental leave

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EU employment ministers have agreed to extend minimum parental leave to four months per parent. The plan applies to all workers, regardless of what kind of contract they have, and will require changes to national laws in the UK, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Malta.

Commission gets wires crossed on exit strategies: NGOs

The European Commission is contradicting itself, NGOs have claimed, pointing out that a recently published social protection report goes against key priorities outlined in the bloc's long-term 'Europe 2020' strategy.

Five leading women outline visions for Europe 2020

To celebrate Women's Day, EurActiv asked five prominent women to set out their visions for the future of the European Union. Starting with Dalia Grybauskaitė, president of Lithuania, these successful professionals are symbols of the economic, political and social achievements of Europe's women.  

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Labour market reforms

In the wake of the global financial and economic crises, the EU is developing a new labour market strategy as part of its successor to the '...

Workers Mobility

Free movement of labour in the EU 27

Few of the EU's 'older' and wealthier member states continue to restrict access to their labour markets to workers from Eastern Europe, with...

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Services in the Internal Market

The directive on services in the internal market was designed to break down barriers to trade in services across the EU, and help complete...

Interviews

Opinion & Analysis

Gender Equality: The Road to Change

Antigoni Papadopoulou, Cypriot MEP, Socialists & Democrats

Temporary jobs can help people get back into work

Annemarie Muntz, president, Eurociett

Pain in Spain tests social calm

Jason Webb, Reuters

What do citizens want? Well-being measurement and European social policymaking

Sotiria Theodoropoulou & Fabian Zuleeg, Policy analysts, European Policy Centre (EPC)

EU 2020: Why skills are key for Europe's future

Paul Hofheinz, President & co-founder, Lisbon Council