Fighting poverty Archives

Europe’s credibility hinges on national leaders agreeing social legislation that applies across the bloc, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday (17 November) at a summit with leaders from EU countries in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Jean-Claude Juncker deserves credit for making social issues a priority for the European Commission, Socialist MEP Maria Joao Rodrigues told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Experts say all companies can benefit from encouraging healthier food choices, but businesses are still hesitant to make the investments needed.

Time is at a premium and many people simply don’t have enough of it to shop, cook and eat healthily. How can new technologies induce change in the eating habits of workers?

As European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his State of the European Union address last month, there were several issues which sparked his passion. But one came as a surprise to the audience: fish fingers.

Working class people are being harmed as companies abandon free lunch programs, according to food and health policy expert Dr Martin Caraher.

It can be easy to make the wrong food choices during your lunch break. But policymakers are trying to make lunchtime a more satisfying, healthy experience for employees.

People want healthy food. The question for policymakers now is, how do you make it most easy and cost-effective for them to get that food?

The world must ditch austerity and economic neoliberalism and undertake a global "New Deal" to rebalance the global economy and achieve prosperity for all, the UN trade and development agency UNCTAD said in a report on Thursday (14 September).

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants to set up a new EU institution to monitor how labour law is applied in member states. The Commission will outline its plans for the supervisory authority by the end of 2018.

Despite President Juncker's cheerful speech, actual recovery in the EU cannot be celebrated as long as it is confronted by an alarming housing challenge.

There needs to be an EU-wide solution to precarious app economy jobs, said Estonian Labour and Health Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

The centre-right French MEP in charge of guiding the controversial posting of workers directive through the European Parliament has lashed out at Emmanuel Macron after he promised to strike a compromise on the legislation by the end of this year.

Young people in Europe will be squeezed by shrinking pensions and demographic change, adding pressure to under 25-year-olds who are already weighed down by a stubbornly high unemployment rate.

Perhaps the clue is in its name but the shadow economy’s drain on economic growth and public finances can be difficult to recognise. And, unfortunately, consumers can often unwittingly contribute to its growth, writes George Simon.

Negotiations are beginning on the future of the European budget, which also includes funds financing cohesion policy. Meeting in Strasbourg, MEPs agreed they should not be reduced. Aktuálně reports.

More than 120 million people in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth aimed to bring at least 20 million people out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020.

A group of EU member states has urged the European Commission to allow the use of vouchers in distributing aid to the most deprived, arguing they help save costs and uphold the dignity of the people concerned.

Tough French proposals have derailed talks on controversial EU labour mobility rules and dashed Malta's hopes of brokering a compromise deal by the of this month.

The growing trend of distributing vouchers to employees to avoid taxes has raised eyebrows in the Greek government, which has moved to crack down on unprecedented levels of tax evasion in the cash-strapped country.

Truck drivers are the latest workers to come into the European Commission's sights in its bid to build a more 'social Europe', with new rules designed to make sure drivers from lower-wage countries don't undercut better paid workers when they travel to other EU member states.

The European Youth Forum has lodged a legal complaint over the issue of unpaid internships in Belgium. According to the organisation, just one in five interns in the country are paid.

Serbia is on the path to recovery, according to the Commission’s Spring 2017 European Economic Forecast. However, the reality for Serbians is still tough, despite 3.6% growth and a public debt predicted to fall under 70% GDP in 2018. EURACTIV Serbia reports.

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raúl Morales today (5 May) highlighted his country's progress in labour and security matters during a visit to Brussels. EURACTIV Spain reports.