European Union News - Social Affairs

 A European conference on “Poverty: Perceptions and Reality - The Communication Challenge” will take place in Brussels on 28-29 October to launch the 2010 European Year. The conference is targeted at journalists, policy-makers, NGOs and researchers from all over Europe.  

73% of Europeans consider poverty to be a widespread problem in their country while 89% want urgent action by their government to tackle the problem. Those are the key results from a new Eurobarometer survey on attitudes to poverty and social exclusion presented by the European Commission today. The survey is being presented ahead of the 2010 European Year Against Poverty.

A strong appeal for the abolition of capital punishment was issued by EP President Jerzy Buzek as he opened this week's plenary session in Strasbourg with a reference to European Day against the Death Penalty.

As part of the bi-annual Healthy Workplaces Campaign on risk assessment, the European Week for Safety and Health at Work runs from 19 to 23 October and is organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and its partners. Hundreds of events and activities relating to safety and health will take place throughout Europe – ranging from conferences to training sessions and inter-company events. A new case study report gives practical advice on risk prevention.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has just released the results of a Europe-wide opinion poll on safety and health at work. The results reveal that keeping their jobs in times of crisis is the main concern of the Europeans, ahead of health of their working conditions.

Diversity Days to celebrate diversity in Europe are being held in 4 Member States (Cyprus, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden) this autumn and they promise to interest and entertain the public while bringing the message of the benefits of diversity to as many as possible.

When the working day is over, networking is not ended yet. Events such as the Concert and Official Reception as well as regional events such as the North East England Office Official Reception which took place at the NEEO, are the occasion for delegates and people coming to Brussels from their regions to interact and exchange views and experiences applied within their areas.

Representatives of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz, and of the French regions of La Gironde, Eure and La Moselle discussed about the problems and the specific needs of the responses given to the crisis in the local level in the framework of the workshop "Local Solutions in Times of Crisis" of the Open Days . Although different regions represent a broad types of needs and characteristics (border regions, rural, open ocean regions, interior, etc), they all are facing the same situation: the economic crisis and its social implications .

The Committee of the Regions' plenary session, to be held on 5 and 7 October, in parallel with the OPEN DAYS - European Week of Regions and Cities, will reflect the main themes in current EU institutional and political affairs. The session's main theme will be the battle against the effects of climate change and preparations at regional and municipal level for the Copenhagen summit.

The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2009, compared with 9.5% in July. It was 7.6% in August 2008. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.1% in August 2009, compared with 9.0% in July. It was 7.0% in August 2008. For the euro area this is the highest rate since March 1999 and for the EU27 since March 2004.

Yesterday morning was held at the headquarters of the European Commission Representation in Spain the presentation of the book "Building Europe for Citizens" which was attended by the chairman of the Representation Francisco J. Fonseca, the chairman of the Luis Vives Foundation Board Oscar Alzaga and Carlos Carnero, Special Ambassador for Project within the Framework of the European Union.

The Commission celebrates this year's European Day of Languages, 26 September, for almost a week. The centrepiece will be a conference on Early Language Learning. There will also be the inauguration of the Business Platform on Multilingualism, the premiere of a video "Interpréter pour l'Europe" on the theme of "French, a rare language?", a conference on "How technology can help translators", a panel debate on Multilingualism. There will also be multilingual activities aimed specifically at children in Brussels.