European Union News - Social Affairs

The Directorate-General for Education and Culture, Directorate Lifelong Learning: Education and Training, Programmes and Actions, Unit B05 Professional training; 'Leonardo da Vinci' has awarded a tender in order to develop a new tool for the reporting of mobility projects.

The European Commission has approved the application from Lithuania for assistance under the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGAF). The application will now be sent to the European Parliament and the Council for decision. The funding will help the 600 most affected of the redundant workers in the textiles sector back into employment. The application – for €298,994 – was submitted after 1,089 employees were made redundant from Alytaus Tekstilė in Alytus, in southern Lithuania.

Final evaluation report on the Community framework strategy and Community action programme relating to the Community strategy on gender equality [SEC(2008) 2365].

The European Commission has launched a Call for Proposals, funded with 3M€, for the AMICUS Preparatory Action in youth voluntary works, which is part of the Youth in Action European Programme. The deadline for submission of applications is October 31st 2008.

The Report, published on July 23rd., follows the Commission's obligation to regularly monitor the implementation of the actions under the programme in the light of the objectives, set by the Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 23rd 2002, which adopted the programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008).

In July 30th, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published the Decision 742/2008/EC, of the Parliament and of the Council of July 9th, on the Community’s participation in the research and development programme Ambient Assisted Living Programme, undertaken by several Member States and aiming at enhancing the quality of life of older people through the use of new information and communication technologies (ICT).

In July 28th it was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), the Council Decision of July 15th on the guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. The guidelines shall be taken into account in the employment policies of the Member States, which shall be reported upon i the National Reform Programmes.

The rules that will give the disabled and the elderly access to air transport comparable to that enjoyed by all other passengers flying to or from, or passing in transit though, airports in the European Union, with no discrimination and at no additional cost.

Cedefop has published its fourth report on vocational training research in Europe. Europe’s economy needs to keep its citizens in the workforce for as long as possible. No longer do companies and countries favour ‘early exit’ for their workers: the younger age groups in Europe are not large enough to replace departing workers.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has launched a Europe-wide information campaign on risk assessment in order to reduce work-related accidents and illness. Every three and a half minutes, somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes. That's more than 150,000 deaths a year as a result of either work-related accidents (8,900) or occupational diseases (142,000).

The Information Society and Media DGa (European Commission)  will spent 250.000 euro for the development of the european directory of women and Information and Communication Tecnologies (ICT).