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Living and Working in the EU

Living and working in the European Union.

European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 - guide 15 November 2010, 16:31 CET
Most people take it for granted that they can hop on a bus to go shopping, surf the Internet or enjoy a television series. But for the 80 million Europeans with a disability, there may be major obstacles that put these activities out of reach. The European Commission today adopted a new strategy to break down these barriers. The plan outlines how the EU and national governments can empower people with disabilities so they can enjoy their rights. Specific measures over the next decade range from the mutual recognition of national disability cards, the promotion of standardisation to a more targeted use of public procurement and state aid rules. These measures will have substantial societal benefits, but should also produce a knock-on effect on Europe's economy. They could for example enhance the EU market for assisted devices and services, which already today has an estimated annual value of over €30 billion. The Commission will also consider whether to propose a "European Accessibility Act" by 2012 to further develop the Single Market for accessible products and services.

EU employment rights and work organisation - summaries of EU legislation 14 October 2010, 18:12 CET
The European Union has minimum requirements in the field of labour rights and work organisation. These requirements concern collective redundancies, insolvency and the transfer of undertakings, the consultation and information of workers, working hours, equal treatment and pay, and posted workers. They have been supplemented by framework agreements between the European social partners. This has led to the introduction throughout the EU of the right to parental leave and leave for family reasons, and has facilitated part-time work and limited the use of successive fixed-term contracts. Lastly, the concept of corporate social responsibility encourages businesses to adopt good practices in the social field on a voluntary basis. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions makes recommendations to the political decision-makers.

Costs and benefits of maternity and paternity leave - guide 06 October 2010, 16:27 CET
Differing views about the costs and benefits of introducing 18 or 20 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave and two weeks of fully-paid paternity leave were voiced by MEPs and invited experts at a joint workshop held on 5 October by the European Parliament's Women's Right Committee and Employment Committee.

Commission statement - situation of the Roma and EU law on free movement of EU citizens 29 September 2010, 16:36 CET
As announced earlier this month, the European Commission has today assessed recent developments in France and discussed the overall situation of the Roma and EU law on free movement of EU citizens.

Roma people living in the EU - guide 25 August 2010, 20:50 CET
There are between 10 million and 12 million Roma in the European Union, in candidate countries and potential candidate countries in the Western Balkans. Roma people living in the EU are EU citizens and have the same rights as any other EU citizen. A significant number of Roma live in extreme marginalisation in both rural and urban areas and in very poor social-economic conditions. They are disproportionally affected by discrimination, violence, unemployment, poverty, bad housing and poor health standards.

EU to fast-track admission of third-country seasonal workers 13 July 2010, 23:32 CET
The European Commission has proposed a fast-track procedure for admission of third-country seasonal workers. This would be based on common definitions and criteria, in particular the existence of a work contract or binding job offer.

EU to ease mobility of non-EU corporate employees 13 July 2010, 23:30 CET
The proposed Directive of the European Commission covers third-country nationals who reside outside the EU territory and apply to be admitted to the territory of a Member State in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer. The new conditions of entry and residence aim at helping international companies to rely on mobility of third-country national intra-corporate transferees (ICTs).

Easier divorces for cross-border couples 12 July 2010, 20:16 CET
European Union governments gave 14 EU countries the green light to push forward with rules allowing international couples to select which country's law would apply to their divorce. The new rules, which still must be approved, will allow couples to avoid emotionally and financially costly proceedings.

Future of pensions - guide 08 July 2010, 13:29 CET
The European Commission has launched a Europe-wide public debate on how to ensure adequate, sustainable and safe pensions and how the EU can best support the national efforts. Ageing populations in all Member States have put existing retirement systems under massive strain and the financial and economic crisis has only increased this pressure. The consultation document, a Green paper, poses a series of questions inviting all interested parties to contribute views, opinions and ideas on confronting the pension challenge - one of the biggest facing Europe and most parts of the world today – and how the EU can contribute to the solutions.

Euro-MPs call for equal rights for part-time and contract workers 06 July 2010, 22:58 CET
Any reform of labour law should seek to protect workers in "non-standard" employment, such as part-time or temporary work, and make it easier to move between various types of work and unemployment, says a resolution adopted by European Parliament on Tuesday.

Euro-MPs propose 4-month limit on unemployment for young people 06 July 2010, 23:00 CET
A "European Youth Guarantee" to ensure that young people who are unemployed do not remain jobless for more than four months is among proposals made by MEPs in a resolution on improving access to the labour market for young people.

EU launches multilingual website on succession laws 28 June 2010, 22:09 CET
EU citizens living outside their home countries are confronted with different succession laws in the 27 EU Member States. To help citizens become better informed about these laws, the Council of the Notariats of the EU launched a website today in 22 EU languages plus Croatian.

New rules in the EU to provide high-quality cross-border healthcare 10 June 2010, 23:21 CET
EU Health Ministers today agreed on a draft directive which aims to facilitate the access to safe and high-quality cross-border healthcare and to promote cooperation on healthcare between member states.

EU warns Finland on personal tax data 03 June 2010, 22:47 CET
The European Commission today warned Finland that its data protection law may be breaking EU rules. Finnish taxpayers’ personal data is available to the public and is being collected by businesses for sale as special publications, CDs and text messages.

Firearms for civilian use: stricter EU rules to combat illicit trafficking - briefing 31 May 2010, 21:32 CET
The European Commission has proposed legislation to combat illicit arms trafficking through improved tracing and control of imports and exports of civilian firearms from and to the EU territory. The adoption of the proposal by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU would bring the European Union legislation in line with Article 10 of the UN Firearms Protocol.

Euro-MPs call for closer ties between universities and industry 20 May 2010, 23:22 CET
Links between business and the academic world need to be strengthened but higher education institutions must retain their autonomy and public support, says a resolution adopted on Thursday by the European Parliament.

Parliament proposes standard maternity leave rights for self-employed women 18 May 2010, 18:11 CET
EU Member States should grant standard social protection, including at least 14 weeks' maternity leave allowance, for self-employed women and for wives or life partners of self-employed workers, says the European Parliament in a binding proposal to update an EU directive.

Spain tests new border control system for EU 14 May 2010, 23:25 CET
Spain set up a pilot project on Thursday that will help travellers move faster through border crossing points within the European Union, through the use of an automated identification and document verification system, overseen by police officers.

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.

eCall: Time saved = lives saved 30 April 2010, 12:41 CET
In case of a crash, an eCall-equipped car automatically calls the nearest emergency centre. Even if no passenger is able to speak, e.g. due to injuries, a 'Minimum Set of Data' is sent, which includes the exact location of the crash site. Shortly after the accident, emergency services therefore know that there has been an accident, and where exactly. eCall cuts emergency services' response time. It goes down to 50% in the countryside and 60% in built-up areas. Annually, the quicker response will save ± 2,500 lives in the EU. The severity of injuries will be considerably reduced in 15% of cases. You can also make an eCall by pushing a button inside the car. Witnessing an accident, you can thus report it and automatically give the precise location. As eCall normally 'sleeps', it does not allow vehicle localisation outside emergencies.

EU opens consultation on double taxation 29 April 2010, 17:19 CET
The European Commission launched today an online public consultation to ask individuals, companies and tax advisers for information on double taxation problems that they have encountered when operating across borders within the EU.

EC outlines plan to improve mobility within the EU 22 April 2010, 23:38 CET
European leaders endorsed 170 initiatives last December known as the Stockholm Programme. The measures are aimed at creating a genuine European area of freedom, security and justice in the next five years. The Commission has now turned these political objectives into an action plan for 2010-2014.

Commission initiatives to bring more security to Europeans 22 April 2010, 23:39 CET
European leaders endorsed 170 initiatives last December known as the Stockholm Programme, aimed at creating a genuine European area of freedom, security and justice. The Commission has now turned these political objectives into an action plan for 2010-2014.

EU Roma website 05 April 2011, 17:26 CET
For more than one thousand years, the Roma have been an integral part of European civilisation. Today, with an estimated population of 10-12 million people, Roma are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe, present in all 27 EU Member States. Most Roma are EU citizens. However, their situation is characterised by persistent discrimination and social exclusion. Roma are at risk of poverty, unemployment, stereotypes and prejudice.