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On 29 October 2009 the Commission sent reasoned opinions to Germany and Italy for incorrectly implementing EU rules prohibiting discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in employment and occupation.
Concerning Germany, the Commission pointed out that Germany applies certain restrictions on benefits for civil servants or soldiers living in a registered partnership whereas married partners receive these benefits (contributions to the costs of illness, family allowances and survivors' pensions), protection against discriminatory dismissals are not covered by German anti-discrimination law, and the employer's duty to provide for reasonable accommodation for disabled people under German law only applies to severely disabled people, and a claim for sanctions on grounds of discrimination is excluded if the employer is not personally liable for the non-compliance.
In terms of the reasoned opinion against Italy, the Commission argued that the Directive imposes a general obligation for employers to provide reasonable accommodation for disabled people but Italian law contains provisions aimed at facilitating their work concern only some disabled people, not all. Furthermore, Italian law imposes a special condition of 'seriousness' for the shift of the burden of proof, which goes beyond the requirements of the Directive.
Estonia, however, successfully upgraded its national legislation. The Commission has also decided to close the infringement proceeding concerning Estonia since it adopted a new Equal Treatment Act in December 2008 which brings its national law in to line with the Directive.
See press release.
Posted on Nov 12, 09 | 1:47 am | 0 Comments (46 views)
On 26-27 October, the High Level Conference on Labour Market Inclusion in Stockholm discussed ways of increasing labour force participation and Member States representatives shared experiences on how to overcome obstacles to this.
The economic crisis and rising unemployment are pushing growing numbers of people into unemployment and putting them at risk of social exclusion. A dynamic employment and social security policy would expand the opportunities for labour market inclusion and ensure that the social protection system remains viable. The crisis must be managed in ways that encourage people to actively seek work. This means upgrading the status of work and providing quality jobs rather than cutting welfare benefits and guaranteeing a decent level of social protection.
A greater work-life balance should be ensured through the provision of opportunities for flexible working patterns to allow workers to meet their employment and family commitments. Increased job security must be provided by ensuring that employees have opportunities for training and retraining, especially older workers who are one of the groups who have been hit hardest in the economic crisis.
For more details: http://tinyurl.com/lmkinclusion, or contact Rachel Buchanan, Policy Officer for Non-discrimination and Employment, at rachel.buchanan@age-platform.org.
Posted on Nov 12, 09 | 1:44 am | 0 Comments (55 views)
Within the framework of the project ‘Learning Lab for Integration’ financed under the Lifelong learning Grundvig programme, a database has been created to provide good practice examples on how people with disabilities can be helped to return to the labour market, integrate society, learn and acquire new skills.
You are invited to add your ideas, projects or organisation and so promote them to professionals all over Europe for free. Click here for direct access to the database.
Posted on Oct 08, 09 | 12:41 am | 0 Comments (74 views)
You can now download the enhanced Code of Practice (CoP) for Mentoring in English, Bulgarian, Dutch and Turkish. This CoP (the result of the Validating Mentoring 2 project) is mainly addressed to managers and developers of mentoring programmes.
It will help them to critically review their systems and how they work, while also helping them to improve their quality and/or gain external recognition. It will equally be very useful to those planning new mentoring programmes, through the advice about good practice that it provides and by the links it offers to other resources. But such first-time developers are not its main target audience. The CoP is also designed for use by the staff of organisations that provide mentoring programmes. Indeed, an important principle of our approach is that as many of the staff team as possible will participate in the self-assessment process. By contributing to the process staff will bring their own knowledge and expertise and learn from their colleagues while helping to improve their own practice and the performance of the programme overall. This CoP does not address all types of programmes that sometimes are called ‘mentoring’ (see Section 4 for guidance about the nature of ‘mentoring’). It has been developed initially to meet the needs of NGO’s, small training organisations, and others sharing their approach. The term mentoring is often used, for example, to cover aspects of professional training and coaching, where formal reporting requirements may constrain freedom of choice and confidentiality. Though the CoP may have limited applicability to mentoring programmes of this kind, it should still provide some useful guidance and valuable stimulus for self-reflection. The crucial first step, as for all mentoring programmes, is to carefully consider and define the particular goals of the programme and to understand the particular requirements that such goals impose.
Downloads are available at the newspage of the project website.
Posted on Oct 08, 09 | 12:33 am | 0 Comments (68 views)
The Social Protection Committee of the European Commission has issued a new report on the social dimension of the growth and jobs strategy, which is meant to be a contribution of the EU’s post-2010 Lisbon strategy. This report highlights the progress of the social protection systems over the past decades and their important role in minimizing the social impact of the crisis.
However with an average 17% of the European Union’s population living on or below the poverty level, these systems are “not enough to prevent poverty and social exclusion”. “Further modernisation of social protection needs to be fully articulated with growth and jobs strategies,” says the report. “Having a job is still the best safeguard against exclusion, but it doesn’t automatically lift people out of poverty” commented Vladimir Spidla, the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. “The most vulnerable groups still face serious obstacles and jobs are not always of high quality. That is why social cohesion goals must be better embedded within the new strategy for growth and jobs”. The report also shows the significant differences between Member States regarding the poverty levels and the efficiency of their social protection system.
More information at: Link 1 & Link 2.
Posted on Oct 08, 09 | 12:30 am | 0 Comments (62 views)
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On 26-27 October, the High Level Conference on Labour Market Inclusion in Stockholm discussed ways of increasing labour force participation and Member States representatives shared experiences on how to overcome obstacles to this.
Within the framework of the project ‘Learning Lab for Integration’ financed under the Lifelong learning Grundvig programme, a database has been created to provide good practice examples on how people with disabilities can be helped to return to the labour market, integrate society, learn and acquire new skills.
You can now download the enhanced Code of Practice (CoP) for Mentoring in English, Bulgarian, Dutch and Turkish. This CoP (the result of the Validating Mentoring 2 project) is mainly addressed to managers and developers of mentoring programmes.
The Social Protection Committee of the European Commission has issued a new report on the social dimension of the growth and jobs strategy, which is meant to be a contribution of the EU’s post-2010 Lisbon strategy. This report highlights the progress of the social protection systems over the past decades and their important role in minimizing the social impact of the crisis.
Marie Curie Association held its conference entitled “Creativity and Innovative Solutions in Training of People with Disabilities” on 11 September 2009 in Sofia city. Over 80 participants came in Sofia Press conference hall and the representatives of Marie Curie Association acquainted them with different methods of accessible training. The results of 8 international projects funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme were presented. The conference was opened by Mariya Goranova-Valkova, an executive director of the association organizing the event. She greeted the participants linking the theme of the present conference and the European Year of Creativity and Innovation which 2009 is according to the calendar of the European Commission. Afterwards presentations with focus on the products and the results of the 8 projects were delivered.
The European Parliament offers traineeship opportunities for persons with disabilities. The 7th traineeship period will start on 1 March 2010 for 6 months and the application period has just started.
Shell Bulgaria has implemented a wide range of Shell Group policies, practices, action plans and training material to help our team members in overcoming bias and minimizing prejudice based on physical ability, culture, nationality, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, political views, etc. We are working in the field of ‘Diversity & Inclusion’, raising our awareness and overall experience with diversity.
The conference “Bringing People to Work” will take place on 11–12 June 2009 in Thessaloniki (Greece). The starting point of the conference will be the Employment Directive, The State Aid Regulation, HLG paper on Supported Employment & Art. 27 of the UN convention on work and Employment of persons with disabilities.
A European (Valorisation) Conference entitled "Creativity and Innovation in Education, Training, and Employment" will take place on 25 September, 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. A whole range of projects will present its outcomes, most in direct relationship to the increased employability of people with disabilities. The conference will take place at POLIS, Rue du Trône 98, in Brussels (easily reachable via the metro – station "Troon / Trône") from 9.30 till 14.30. It is organised with the financial support of the Leonardo da Vinci programme of the EC.
The discussion on older workers and lifelong learning has been growing in the European countries and the EU since the late 1990s. Related to this discussion, the OWN network wishes to bring forward the Nordic dimension with its rather distinctive, positive characteristics.
Access For All aims at highlighting a variety of projects, initiatives, events, etc. that place people with disabilities, older people as well as other people at risk of being excluded at the centre, thus aiming to let them become full citizens that can enjoy every service, event, PC application, etc. like everyone else.
The European umbrella organisation for supported employment works to promote the Supported Employment model through the exchange of information and knowledge on good practice. EUSE also provides a platform for its members to networking with other organisations and associations at European and world level.
Funded by the European Social Fund, the initiative EQUAL is looking for new ways to reduce discrimination and inequalities of employees and job seekers and to improve the vocational integration of disadvantaged people.
This database of employment guidance services contains case studies from 16 EU Member States. These have been selected on the basis that they adopt new or enhanced approaches to providing employment services for the target group of people with disabilities or chronic illness.
The Euroguidance Network had following interesting article: In a new publication from Malta, the focus is cast on people with disabilities and how they often feel alienated from deciding their own lives. In a conference launching the publication, they called for guidance on an even footing with non disabled people.
News archive
November 2009
