European Union News - Social Affairs

Women play a key role in local communities but their contribution is often unnoticed and poorly rewarded. Ensuring equal opportunities for both sexes is vital to keeping the countryside alive.

On the initiative of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the European Commission is to launch a project to promote accessibility in cities, according to Wednesday's announcement by the Spanish minister for Health and Social Policy, Trinidad Jiménez, at a press conference following the informal meeting of European disability ministers in Zaragoza.

Six EU-funded education projects aimed at promoting social inclusion were named today as winners of the 2010 European Awards for Lifelong Learning. The winning projects are from Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom and involve partners from many other European countries. The awards were announced at a conference in Barcelona.

The European Economic and Social Committee is organizing a conference jointly with the italian region of Tuscany on the role that education clan play against social exclusion. President Sepi will propose in FLorence a Green Paper to President Barroso on this issue

All the EU education ministers except the British minister whose country is in the process of forming government, backed on Tuesday the Spanish Presidency proposal to reduce the average school drop-out rate to 10 per cent by 2020 (currently, the average rate is 15 per cent) and increase to  40 per cent the number of university graduates or those with higher-level vocation training.

The European Commission adopted today an Action Plan to increase the protection of unaccompanied minors entering the EU, encompassing common standards for guardianship and legal representation. The aim of the Plan is to create a common European approach to make sure that a decision on the future of each unaccompanied minor is taken by the competent authorities as soon as possible, preferably within six months.

The Commission's spring forecast confirms that the economic recovery is in progress in the EU. After having experienced the deepest recession in its history, the EU economy is set to grow by 1% in 2010 and 1¾% in 2011. This implies an upward revision of ¼ percentage point for this year from the Commission's autumn forecast, as the EU countries benefit from a stronger external environment. Nevertheless, weak domestic demand continues to restrain the recovery further out.

An international ministerial conference on the topic of 'Religious Freedom in Democratic Societies' is being held in Cordoba, Spain in the context of the UN Alliance of Civilisations National Plan. The conference will be jointly hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior.

A European agreement to combat international drug trafficking, the launch of an “Erasmus” programme to improve cooperation and coordination on police matters and measures to improve the control and safety of explosives are just some of the agreements expected to be reached by justice and interior ministers attending Friday's meeting.

The informal meeting of EU sports ministers, which ended on Wednesday, concluded with a "unanimous agreement" on the creation of a "structured dialogue" group between all levels of sport, according to the Spanish Secretary of State for Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky.

The investment of €123 billion through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) between 2000 and 2006 has had a clear impact in the regions. An estimated 1.4 million jobs were created during this period, 2 000 km of motorways were built and 14 million people drink better water thanks to EU supported projects.