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Employment Policy in the EU

Latest news on employment policy in the European Union.

Parliament seeks equal treatment for self-employed 14 May 2010, 23:23 CET
Euro-MPs want to promote female entrepreneurship and are proposing new rules to bridge the gender gap for self-employed workers and their partners and to ensure everyone has social protection.

EU ministers adopt rules to prevent injuries to healthcare workers 11 May 2010, 17:39 CET
At a meeting of the EU Council of Education, Youth and Culture today, Ministers adopted a directive aimed at achieving the safest possible working environment for healthcare workers through prevention from injuries.

New social security regulations enter into force in the EU 30 April 2010, 21:51 CET
On 1 May 2010, new regulations on social security coordination in the European Union enter into force. The aim is to make life easier for Europeans on the move.

EU's modernised social security - Briefing 06 May 2010, 20:17 CET
On 1 May 2010, new regulations on social security coordination in the European Union enter into force. The aim is to make life easier for Europeans on the move.

Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2010 - 2011 29 April 2010, 12:17 CET
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has run an annual European Campaign since 2000. With more than 30 countries participating, and some 4 million information materials distributed in all official community languages, the European Campaign has become one of Europe’s largest annual awareness-raising campaigns.

MEPs want rules on working hours to apply to self-employed drivers 28 April 2010, 23:29 CET
Members of the European Parliament have voted against a Commission proposal that self-employed drivers be exempted from the 2002 Working Time Directive on the road transport industry.

MEPs want say on EU employment guidelines 24 April 2010, 00:28 CET
The European Parliament is calling on the European Council to postpone adopting the EU 2020 economic competitiveness strategy until the autumn, to give MEPs time to properly analyse the proposals.

EU Court outlines limitations of pay increment 22 April 2010, 22:42 CET
A Member State may make claims for payment of special length-of-service increments, denied to migrant workers on the basis of the application of a domestic law incompatible with Community law, the ECJ has ruled.

Strategic reports from EU Member States on cohesion policy 2007-2013 - briefing 31 March 2010, 13:10 CET
EUR 93 billion or 27 per cent of EU funding has been allocated to projects for investment in jobs and growth in Europe over the last three years, according to a report adopted today on the EU's cohesion programmes for the 2007-2013 period. The report assesses, for the first time, the rate of progress of each country on delivering agreed EU objectives. It shows how well EU Member States aligned their programmes to EU goals of jobs and growth and contributes to an open debate on achievements and challenges of cohesion policy programmes. Furthermore the report calls on Member States to improve the implementation of programmes, to make optimal use of the cohesion money, for instance in the rail sector, key energy and environment projects and the field of social inclusion.

EU begins review of Working Time Directive 25 March 2010, 00:42 CET
The European Commission has requested the views of workers' and employers' representatives on the options for reviewing EU rules on working time. This is the first step towards a comprehensive review of the Working Time Directive.

Working Time Directive - first consultation of the social partners (Commission Communication) 24 March 2010, 17:36 CET
Reviewing the Working Time Directive - (first-phase consultation of the social partners at European Union level under Article 154 of the TFEU) - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions - COM(2010) 106 final

Working Time Directive : first stage consultation of social partners - briefing 24 March 2010, 17:41 CET
The European Commission has today requested the views of workers' and employers' representatives on the options for reviewing EU rules on working time. The first stage consultation asks the European social partners at whether action is needed at EU level on the Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) and what scope it should take. This represents the first step towards a comprehensive review of the Directive and comes after previous the attempts to revisit the existing legislation reached an impasse in April 2009.

Football clubs eligible for compensation, EU Court rules 23 March 2010, 20:39 CET
The European Court of Justice has ruled that football clubs who have trained and prepared young players may seek compensation if that player wishes to sign their first contract with a different club within the European Union.

Ministers approve directive to improve safety of EU healthcare workers 08 March 2010, 23:43 CET
EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers have adopted a Directive to prevent injuries and infections to healthcare workers from sharp objects such as needle sticks - one of the most serious health and safety threats in European workplaces and estimated to cause 1 million injuries each year.

Tackling the gender pay gap - briefing 05 March 2010, 17:11 CET
The European Commission plans to use a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the pay gap between men and women over the next five years. The average gender pay gap in the EU currently stands at 18%. To lower this rate, the Commission plans to raise awareness among employers, encourage initiatives to promote gender equality and support the development of tools to measure the gender pay gap. On the other hand, new legal measures are not excluded. The Commission intends to consult the European social partners and analyse the impact of a number of options: strengthening sanctions, providing pay transparency and regular reporting on the pay gap. A Eurobarometer survey released today shows that more than 80% of Europeans support urgent action to address the gap.

CASELEX:EU:2010:14 - Employment Law - Protection of employees’ representatives 15 March 2010, 23:47 CET
This reference for a preliminary ruling has been made by the Vestre Landsret (Western Regional Court) (Denmark) in the context of a dispute between the applicant, the Danish Association of Engineers (Ingeniørforeningen i Danmark) (‘IDA’), acting on behalf of Mr Bertram Holst, a former employee of the company Babcock & Wilcox Vølund ApS (‘BWV’), and the defendant, the Confederation of Danish Employers (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening) (‘DA’), acting on behalf of BWV, concerning the dismissal of Mr Holst by BWV.

EU Court clarifies residency terms for the carers of the children of migrant workers 01 March 2010, 01:02 CET
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled, in accordance with Community regulation on the freedom of movement, that the child of a migrant worker is allowed to have an independent right of residence in connection with the right of access to education in the host Member State.

Health and safety of pregnant workers - FAQ 24 February 2010, 14:20 CET
Minimum maternity leave in the EU should be extended from 14 to 20 weeks and be fully paid, believe MEPs in the Women's Rights Committee. An entitlement to paid paternity leave of at least two weeks was also approved by the committee. The draft legislation seeks to lay down minimum rules at EU level. These Frequently Asked Questions look more closely at some of the crucial points of the committee vote.

Germany's age law ruled incompatible with EU Directives 08 February 2010, 14:22 CET
The European Court of Justice has ruled that European Union law, more particularly the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of age as given expression by Directive 2000/78, precludes national legislation. As such, a German law which provides that periods of employment completed by an employee before reaching the age of 25 are not taken into account in calculating the notice period for dismissal, was deemed discriminatory and must be dis-applied by the national courts.

Social Security Rights 21 January 2010, 16:16 CET
EU rules introduced in 1971 coordinate European countries’ social security schemes, offering solutions to most cross-border problems that may arise. These rules were updated and a new, improved coordination system will enter into force in May 2010.

Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs 21 January 2010, 12:44 CET
Before the financial and economic crisis hit the EU, the Lisbon strategy had helped create more than 18m new jobs. When the economy slumped, the EU acted to stabilise the financial system and adopted a recovery plan to boost demand and restore confidence. The plan is delivering a major fiscal stimulus, with measures to keep people in work and public investment in infrastructure, innovation, new skills for the workforce, energy efficiency and clean technologies to meet the goals of the Lisbon strategy.

Maximum age limits for some professions is permissible, says Court 14 January 2010, 13:41 CET
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has delegated the application of age limits for the recruitment of certain professionals, such as dentistry and fire fighting, to the authority of the national courts, due to the health responsibility attached to those professions.

Professional qualifications - how EU rules work in practice 11 December 2009, 00:20 CET
The European Commission has published a scoreboard offering an overview of where Member States stand in implementing the Professional Qualifications Directive into national law, as well as a "user’s guide" allowing citizens to find responses to their questions about how the Directive works. The Professional Qualifications Directive of 2005 facilitates free movement of citizens who wish to establish themselves as a self-employed person or as a worker, or who wish to go cross-border on a temporary basis.

Renewed commitment for non-discrimination and equal opportunities 08 December 2009, 00:54 CET
This EU Communication provides a comprehensive approach through which the European Commission is renewing its commitment to further non-discrimination and equal opportunities in the European Union. It presents the latest developments and aims to strengthen the legal framework against discrimination as well as the policy tools for promoting equal opportunities.

Renewed commitment for non-discrimination and equal opportunities 07 December 2009, 21:04 CET
This EU Communication provides a comprehensive approach through which the European Commission is renewing its commitment to further non-discrimination and equal opportunities in the European Union. It presents the latest developments and aims to strengthen the legal framework against discrimination as well as the policy tools for promoting equal opportunities.