18/11/2015 – Today the Commission has launched a public consultation on how to improve work-life balance and reduce obstacles to women’s participation in the labour market. This consultation follows the recent withdrawal of the Commission’s 2008 proposal to amend the Maternity Leave Directive. The Commission has committed to replacing the withdrawn proposal with a ‘new start’ initiative in its Work Programme for 2016.
23/11/2015, Euractiv – Member states have firmly rejected British demands to limit EU citizens’ rights to social benefits when working in the UK, saying this would be discriminatory.
24/11/2015 – the Council by unanimity approved the 2016 EU budget deal agreed by the Conciliation Committee on 14 November. If the agreement is also confirmed by the European Parliament on 25 November the EU budget for 2016 is adopted.
13/11/2015 (Agence Europe) – The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) should go back to its primary role, namely expressing the views of civil society and advising the other European institutions on the best ways of encouraging European integration, which could include drawing up a plinth of European social rights, as desired by the European Commission.
Euractiv, 16/11/2015 – Though the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in member states is on track, the Commission is launching a new initiative with businesses to help more young people into jobs, says Marianne Thyssen in an interview.
14/11/2015 – The European Union is deeply shocked and in mourning after the terrorist attacks in Paris. It is an attack against us all. We will face this threat together with all necessary means and ruthless determination.
14/11/2015 – On 14 November 2015, the Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2016. Meeting in the Conciliation Committee they agreed to set the total level of commitments at €155.00 billion and of payments at €143.89 billion.
Euractiv, 30/10/2015 – Member states have committed to lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. But this has been hard to do in a time of economic recession, writes Georges Dassis, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).The record number of entries for the 2015 Civil Society Prize of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the theme of “Combating poverty” shows the problem is getting worse, not better. Nearly one in four EU citizen (about 120 million people) faces the risk of poverty. The European Union member states are committed to lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020.
12/11/2015 – “One of our biggest responsibilities is to address the root causes of the movements we are seeing. It is our job, as leaders, to ensure that people do not feel the need to risk their lives to achieve their aspirations,” in opening address to EU and African leaders” said today EU Council President Donald Tusk at the Valletta summit on migration between EU and African countries. EAPN welcomes these positive words, but the concrete action remains too limited. It should also be mroe focused on guaranteeing human rights, through tackling the sources of poverty and inequalites in Africa, with civil-society involvement, reinforcing effective humanitarian aid and support, particularly at the point of entry and re-location, building safe and legal access, and well as investing in integration as a positive force for Europe. The role of civil society in the design of policies as well as the delivery of services is crucial, particularly ensuring the voice of migrants.
12/11/2015 – Martin Schulz called on member states to step up their efforts to relocate refugees from EU countries faced with a heavy influx. “European solidarity can work if we all commit to it, but not if we let a small number of countries do all the heavy lifting,” the EP President said at an informal meeting of leaders of EU countries in Malta on 12 November. The meeting took place following the Valletta summit on migration to discuss collaboration with other countries.