European Union News - Social Affairs

The proposals aims to review some of the provisions of Directive 2003/88/EC, taking into account the European Court of Justice's case law, in particular the rulings in the SIMAP and Jaeger cases. This interpretation of certain provisions of the Directive by the European Court of Justice, following several requests for preliminary rulings under Article 234 of the Treaty, had a profound impact on the concept of ‘working time’ and, consequently, on essential provisions of the Directive.

The European Commission adopted on October 3rd, 2008, a package of measures aimed to improve  work-life balance for millions of EU citizens, both women and men. This measures included a longer and better maternity leave as well as a proposal to improve the situation of self-employed women by providing equivalent access to maternity leave, on a voluntary basis. They aim to update and improve existing EU legislation and will now be sent to the European Parliament and national governments for discussion.

Through Action 4.6 of the “Youth in Action” Programme, the European Commission, via the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), aims to support partnership projects with regional or local public bodies or with organisations active in the youth sector at European level. The total budget to support projects under this Call is of 0.75 M€.

The Official Journal of the European Union, has published on October 2nd, a Call for Proposals to support bodies which are active at European level in the field of youth. Those activities will be funded with 1.4 M€ for the budget period 2009, and the call will be opened to non-profit organizations or European networks representing bodies working on behalf of young people.

On Sunday, October 5th, 2008 FADERE (Federation of Romanians in Europe) organize the European Forum 2008. The main objective of the event will be to improve the image of the expat Romanian community and seek solutions to the problems of diaspora.

EUROPEAN JOB DAYS 2008 organise more than 500 events around Europe during September and October. Events range from job fairs to seminars to information sessions –even taking place on trains! Whatever your recruitment or job-hunting needs, this is the season not to miss.

Strategic choices for young Europeans is the official name for the EU- public consultation on the future of youth policy launched on the 22nd of september.

On 25-26 September 2008, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will organise the 1st Baltic Organised Civil Society Forum, which will take place in Riga (Latvia) in the Golden Hall of the Latvian Society. This conference will offer to civil society organisations from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia an opportunity to analyse and exchange best practices with their counterparts from other EU member states.

The European Commission has presented on the 9th September a proposal for a Decision about the mobilisation of 10.7 Meuros of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund based on the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 to Delphi and Alytaus Tekstile.

The European Commission has launched on the first September the latest edition of its “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” Journalist Award. For the fifth successive year, submissions are invited for this European competition which honours journalists from both online and printed media. The award showcases the talents of those media professionals who, through their writing, contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of diversity and the fight against discrimination – on the basis of religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, race or ethnic origin.

The EU27 population is projected to increase from 495 million on 1 January 2008 to 521 million in 2035, and thereafter gradually decline to 506 million in 2060. The annual number of births is projected to fall over the period 2008-2060, while at the same time the annual number of deaths is projected to continue rising. From 2015 onwards deaths would outnumber births, and hence population growth due to natural increase would cease. From this point onwards, positive net migration would be the only population growth factor. However, from 2035 this positive net migration would no longer counterbalance the negative natural change, and the population is projected to begin to fall.