About: social affairs Archives

While EU-funded projects look nice on paper, the money has little real effect in addressing social issues in Hungary. The huge subsidies could be a strong weapon in the fight against poverty, but EU funds barely reach their target groups. EURACTIV Hungary reports.

The Czech Republic has been a democratic country for twenty years and an EU member state for six. Although it still faces social problems, the situation is improving and the country is in a relatively good situation compared to older member states. EURACTIV.cz reports on the country's efforts to fight poverty.

According to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the goals of the 'Europe 2020' strategy – including that of reducing poverty by 25% – are ''illusory''. So too is the notion that the social situation of all Slovak citizens has improved in the decades since 1989. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.

''Being Polish is not a nationality but a profession,'' goes an old popular saying in the former Communist bloc. Even today, for many Poles, resourcefulness remains the only responses to an economic crisis in which the problem is not prices but salaries. EURACTIV Poland reports.

Romania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, has never dealt with poverty reduction in the twenty years since its transition to a market economy, which makes any commitment to the EU's 2020 poverty reduction goals seem "utopian". EURACTIV Romania reports.

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.

At his hearing at the European Parliament, Hungarian Commissioner-designate László Andor was criticised for providing "too general" answers. But many of the questions themselves were also too general, Andor told EURACTIV Hungary in an interview.

At his hearing at the European Parliament, Hungarian Commissioner-designate László Andor was criticised for providing "too general" answers. But many of the questions themselves were also too general, Andor told EURACTIV Hungary in an interview.

Amid growing unemployment and increasing inequality in Europe, the new social provisions in the Lisbon Treaty will not immediately correct social imbalances, according to experts. But the crisis might trigger the right kind of social innovation and reform the market economy, they say.

The European Union's executive proposed on Thursday (30 July) to increase minimum parental leave from three to four months per child by 2011, which will affect national laws in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Romania and Malta.

In an interview with EURACTIV France, French Socialist MEP Pervenche Berès highlighted the importance of including a social dimension in the battle to solve Europe's economic problems, and questioned the decision to award the European Parliament's important economic committee chair to an English Liberal MEP.

Anna Diamantopoulou, a former EU social affairs commissioner, has warned EU leaders against protectionist rhetoric ahead of an EU summit on 1 March that is due to address the worsening economic recession. She spoke to EURACTIV in an interview.

Limosa, a little-known scheme that requires foreigners to register with social security before heading to Belgium for temporary work, has raised concerns in Brussels EU circles. The official behind the scheme, Sarah Scaillet, seeks to clarify the new law in an interview with EURACTIV.

Social NGOs from all over Europe have presented a nine-point catalogue of benchmarks that they will to use to evaluate the German presidency.

At a conference organised by the Social Platform, politicians, officials and NGO activists discussed the importance of a European social model to bringing the EU closer to its citizens. 

The Parliament adopted, with a broad majority, its own-initiative report on a European Social Model for the future.

Where should the priorities in EU labour policy be? Can the Danish flexicurity success be exported? How to reconcile flexibility and social security? Those questions and more were debated by a panel at Employment Week.

David Blunkett, the UK work and pensions secretary, argues that more important lessons are to be learnt for EU member states from successful European social models than from those of the US and Asia.

In an exclusive interview for EURACTIV, Hans Skov Christensen, director general of the Federation of Danish Industry, speaks out on the benefits that the model of flexicurity has from an employer's point of view.

At two important events, leaders of the EU and its member states will discuss the European model, focusing on whether successful models such as the Nordic one can be transferred to countries in distress.

The model of flexicurity - a combination of easy hiring and firing, high benefits for the unemployed and a pro-active labour market policy - could solve many of Europe's unemployment problems, experts at a conference agreed.

At the end of 2002, a high-level panel of social and labour experts was asked to find a way forward for social policy in an enlarging European Union. Their report demonstrates how the European social model can maintain its central place in a functioning market economy.

Quizzed by MEPs about his priorities, the new
Greek Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs gave few
concrete answers, but promised to push for progress on
outstanding issues.

EU Employment and Social Policy Ministers have been informally discussing labour and social policy priorities in time for the Spring European Council.