SOC Section: Presentation
The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) covers a broad range of policy formulation including employment, working conditions, occupational health, social protection, social security, social inclusion, gender equality, combating discrimination, improving free movement, immigration/integration and asylum, education and training, citizens' rights, and participatory democracy in the EU.
The SOC Section's activities cover the work of several European Parliamentary committees and Commission Directorates-General, giving a comprehensive input to the social dimension of the Lisbon agenda.
Key themes recently highlighted in the SOC Section programme include job growth and quality employment, lifelong learning, training and productivity, occupational health and safety in the new Member States, healthcare for the elderly, women's representation, people with disabilities, and EU 'civic citizenship'.
Hearings on such themes are regularly held with experts and civil society organisations.
During the 2008-2010 Presidency the SOC Section priorities will be in the following areas:
- Rights, Solidarity and Citizenship
- More and better jobs
- New generations
- Better Health
- Inclusion and integration
Too see the full Strategy of the SOC Section for the 2008-2010 Presidency, click here.
In the spotlight
- 11-12 January 2010
"I am a European Roma woman", 2nd International Meeting of Roma Women, Contribution by Madi Sharma
- 01/12/2009
Public hearing : "People with disabilities: employment and gradual accessibility for people with disabilities in the EU. Post-2010 Lisbon Strategy"
- 20/11/2009
Children’s rights must be placed at the centre of EU policy
Statement by Ms Leila KURKI, president of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, on the occasion of Universal Children's Day
- 22/23 October 2009 - Helsinki
"The Baltic Sea Region: The Best Place to Work and Do Business"
conference jointly organised by the EESC and the European Commission Representation in Finland. The aim is to promote more co-operation between countries in the region, including Russia, in order to fully utilise the available potential in terms of labour skills, labour market mobility and entrepreneurial and innovative capacity. The first step in this direction would be for the various political stakeholders to commit to a common framework that could pave the way for new, intensive synergies. The Baltic Sea Strategy is an important tool in this context but a tighter focus on the growth potential of the region is required. Strenghtening relations in the Baltic is a major concern for the EESC. As Vice-President Seppo Kallio points out: "Civil society could play a major role by promoting cooperation but also by raising citizens' awareness of the great opportunities that are available". Finnish Minister for European Affairs Astrid Thors and Swedish State Secretary for EU Affairs Maria Åsenius will attend the opening of the conference.
- 17 octobre 2009 - Paris
Participation of Ms Batut, Ms Pichenot and Mr Buffetaut in the public gathering of human rights defenders at the Trocadéro square in Paris to mark the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty. At this gathering, organised by the NGO ATD Fourth World, children's messages about a poverty free world will be collected to be presented to Mr Ban Ki-Moon, in Geneva on 20 November, at the 20th anniversary of the International Convention of Children's Rights.
- 15 October 2009 - Stockholm, Sweden
Participation of Béatrice Ouin, rapporteur of the exploratory opinion SOC/338, in the conference 'What does gender equality means for economic growth and employment', organised by the Swedish Presidency in the framework of the Council of European Ministers for Equality.
- 5-6 October 2009
Joint conference EESC/ESC of Bulgaria on "Jobs and the Crisis: Policy Responses from Europe"
Opening address by Leila Kurki
- 17 September 2009 /
Joint EESC-LBAS Seminar on Jobs and the Social Impact of the Crisis in Riga
- 4 September 2009
Brief summary of Leila Kurki's speech at the well-being@work conference in Vienna
- 1 September 2009
Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality, addressed the SOC Section meeting
Press release, 104/2009
- 16 July 2009
Speech by Leila Kurki, President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, at the EESC plenary session on 16 July 2009, in the debate with Mr Littorin, Swedish Minister for Employment, representing the Swedish EU presidency
- 8 July 2009
EESC Participation at the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs, Jönköping, Sweden
The Swedish EU Presidency, in recognition of the European Economic and Social Committee as "an important actor in the work to promote labour market inclusion in Europe", invited the EESC to participate in the informal EPSCO meeting in Jönköping on 8-9 July. Ms Leila Kurki and Ms Vladimíra Drbalová, respectively President and Vice-President of the EESC Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, have played an active role in the meeting.
Ms Kurki's intervention at the EPSCO meeting (word format - 89 kb)
Ms Vladimíra Drbalová's intervention at the EPSCO meeting (word format - 28 kb)
-
6 May 2009Pre-Summit on Employment in Prague
At the Pre-Summit on Employment, which was organised by the EESC in Prague, the President of the European Commission Mr. Barroso was handed a letter by Mr. Sepi, President of the EESC, in which the Committee submits recommendations aiming at preventing a profound social crisis.
- 5 May 2009
Participation of Ms Kurki in the meeting of the Single Market Observatory: Speech (pdf format - 80 kb)
- 27 April 2009
Participation of Ms Kurki in the meeting of the Sustainable Development Observatory: Speech (word format - 50 kb)
- 15 April 2009
Employment workshop on "Upgrading of skills, matching of labour market needs" in Madrid
3 April 2009
Extraordinary meeting of the SOC Section Bureau in Prague
Invitation
Poster
Speech of Leila Kurki - President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)
European social policy delivery: Strategy of the Section for Employment, Social affairs and Citizenship (SOC) for the 2008-2010 Presidency
Summary report of the Extraordinary Bureau Meeting of the SOC section
- 8 March 2009
Statement by Ms Leila Kurki, President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, on the occasion of International Women's Day
- 4 February 2009
A high-level conference on "EU Enlargement - Five Years After", organised in Prague by the Czech Presidency in cooperation with the European Commission on 1-2 March, discussed the benefits of enlargement in terms of financial stability, the internal market and worker mobility within the EU.
- 29 January 2009
Pictures from the debate on "Partnerships between education establishments and employers" (SOC/325), attended by Mr Jakub Dürr, Deputy Minister in the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Henri Malosse, President of the Group I, as well as by representatives of governments, employers, trade unions, universities and students
- 22 January 2009, Luhačovice
Leila Kurki at the Informal Council of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs
Speech
Press-release - 23/1/2009 - 010/2009
EESC calls for concerted effort to remove barriers to mobility
