February - May 2013

Organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), this lunch debate aimed to discuss the developments of active ageing policies within the context of the on-going crisis and pressing demographic challenges on the European labour market.

According to demographic projections provided by Eurostat, the population of working age will fall by 50 million by 2060. The need to increase the employment rate of older workers is fundamental for the EU. Although the employment rate in the 55-64 age group increased in last 10 years, the share of older workers will be more and more important in EU populations. Furthermore, the related strain on the sustainability of national welfare and pension systems amplifies the pressure for reforms aiming at encouraging longer careers in Europe.

This general discussion focused on some policy approaches taken by governments and social partners at national or sectoral level, aiming to keep older workers in the labour market, in particular thanks to improved working conditions. As basis of the debate, the recent Eurofound report served to present the role of governments and social partners in keeping older workers longer at work.

Furthermore, European social partners exchanged their views on findings from the latest Eurofound research on sustainable work and workplace age management.

Organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), this meeting was dedicated to the following issues:

§  Overview of the 5^th European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)

§  Presentation of the sectoral secondary analysis and the selection of sectors, followed by discussion on the sectoral selection

§  Introduction of the content of the factsheets

§  Introduction of the content of the comparative report

The aim of EBSRT is to develop a common platform for business-related services on issues of mutual interest. It gathers representatives of services sector associations across Europe. The following subjects were presented and discussed:

§  High-Level Group on Business Services: Joanna Zawistowka (European Commission, DG MARKT) (see in this regard the Secretariat note of 3^rd May 2013)

§  Points of Single Contact: Agnieszka Bajno (European Commission, DG MARKT)

§  Update on CEN activities: Maitane Olabarria (European Standardisation Committee, CEN)

§  The FM standard (EN15221): Jos Duchamps (BringFM!)

§  Future plans for EBSRT: Paper from Chairman Norman Rose for consideration

Organised by the Socialist and Democrats’ political group (S&D), this seminar was dedicated to discuss the question of posting of workers in the framework of the current legislative procedure to enforce the existing directive (1996/71/EC). Various issues were identified to be resolved, e.g. the definition of posted workers and posting companies, the national control measures that can be imposed by the authorities of the host country and the principle of liability.

In this context, the topic was introduced by the following speakers: Minodora Cliveti (S&D MEP and EMPL-Committee’s member) and Stephen Hughes (MEP and Vice President of the S&D Group in the EP). Afterwards, the following keynote speakers presented their opinion: Evelyn Regner (S&D MEP, JURI-Committee’s member (Legal Affairs)); Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D MEP and IMCO-Committee’s member); Andreas Lill (EFCI Director General); Harald Wiedenhofer (General Secretary, European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism trade unions (EFFAT)); and Philippe Vanden Broeck (General advisor at the Belgian Social Control).

After the presentations a discussion took place between participants during which Andreas Lill stressed again that the list of national control measures (article 9 of the Commission’s proposal) has to be opened in order to give to Member States the possibility to adapt these measures both to their national context and labour market (for further details, see the Secretariat note of 30^th April 2013).

Jointly organised by UNI Europa and the EFCI, this meeting was dedicated to the following issues:

§  Presentation by Lorenzo Munar from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work on the online interactive risk assessment (OIRA) tool to tackle health & safety risks at the workplace that will be developed by social partners during 2013

§  Adoption of working programme 2013-2014 and priorities for 2013

§  Daytime cleaning: activities to be developed

→ European Commission Office for infrastructure (OIB) conference on 18 June 2013

→ Eventual European campaign to promote daytime cleaning

§  EU legislative proposals and EFCI/UNI Europa lobbying activities:

→ Revision of the EU directive on public procurement: Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and Council position

→ Proposal for an enforcement directive on the Posting of Workers Directive: UNI Europa/EFCI common position