European Union News - Social Affairs

In adopting a report on the under-representation of women in the world of science, Parliament calls for gender balance on decision-making bodies, mainstreaming of the male-female dimension in research programmes and support for scientific careers for women to increase the number of women scientists in the EU. MEPs criticise the unambitious and insufficient EU target of 25 % and remind the Commission and the Member States that gender parity implies at least 40 % female representation.

Parliament gave a first-reading to two legislative proposals aimed at modernising the rules on access to the road freight transport market and licensing for road transport operators. It was notably agreed that restrictions on freight cabotage (delivery operations within a Member State other than that where the haulier is based) will be lifted by 2014.

On the 21st of May 2008, the European Commission published its decision from the council for the establishing of the European Migration Network (‘EMN’) which will provide support and analysis  within the needs of Community institutions and of Member States’ authorities and institutions on migration and asylum. By providing up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on migration and asylum, the Network aims to support policymaking in the European Union in these areas.

The Operational Programme "North Sea Region" or Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme under the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) between Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom (with participation from Norway) will take place in between 2007-13.

The European Commission proposed, on the 20th of May 2008, to further modernise, simplify and streamline the Common Agricultural Policy and remove remaining restrictions on farmers to help them respond to growing demand for food. These changes will free farmers from unnecessary restrictions and let them maximise their production potential.

Wednesday, February 27, 2007, the Romanian Government approved the Decision regarding the modification and completion of the Norms of application concerning the electronic attribution of public procurement contracts of the Government's Emergency Ordinance no 34/2006 regarding the attribution of public procurement contracts, of contracts for concession of public works and of contracts for service concession, approved by the Government decision no 1660/2006.

The successful implementation of a long term e-skills strategy is of great importance within the renewed Lisbon strategy and as part of lifelong learning strategies and the Recommendation on key competences. This challenge will be discussed at the forthcoming European e-Skills 2008 Conference “Implementing a long term e-skills strategy in Europe”. Participation at the conference is free of charge but on invitation only. Pre-registration is mandatory and will be open until 30 June 2008.

The European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF), a public-private partnership on security research and innovation, is holding its 4th plenary meeting from 19 to 21 May 2008 at the JRC in Ispra.

A committee from the European Parliment adopted the own-initiative on Turkey's progress towards accession. MEPs remained committed to accession as the goal of EU negotiations with Turkey, but said that both in Turkey and in the EU important reforms were needed in order to achieve this outcome.

The European Commission launched an initiative to help put the EU's flexicurity approach – balancing flexibility in the job market with employment security for workers – into practice at national level. This 'Mission for Flexicurity' aims to reach out to workers, employers and others through a series of country visits over the next two months. The initiative follows a decision by Member States at the Informal Employment Council in Brdo in January 2008. It will kick off in France on the 19th May 2008, followed by events in Sweden, Finland, Poland and Spain.

Around 200 Europeans on the front line of the battle against social exclusion are meeting with EU and national policy makers in Brussels for a direct dialogue on the 19th Mat 2008. They will discuss issues ranging from minimum income to housing, social services and services of general interest. The annual event aims to include marginal groups in the process of seeking solutions and building policies to improve their lives.