SOLIDAR Social Affairs Monthly Update February 2016

Social Affairs Forum Newsletter - February 2016

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SECRETARIAT UPDATES

NEXT SAF AND ROUND TABLE - 4-5 April 2016
Our round table on social safeguards in conjunction with the final LABCIT conference will take place on 4 April (13.00-17.30, exact time tbc), followed by the Social Affairs Forum on 5 April. More details and programmes will follow.
Please save the date and register here.

STUDY VISIT IN POZZALLO (ITALY) – 13 May 2016
Our first study visit of the year will take place in Pozzallo (Italy) on 13 May 2016. The study visit is organised in cooperation with our Italian member ARCI and in conjunction with the 2nd edition of the Sabir Festival of Mediterranean cultures.

During the study visit ARCI will present us some of the projects implemented in the south of Italy to provide assistance to migrants in vulnerable situation and to promote integration and intercultural dialogue in the local communities. In addition, we will visit the harbor and the surroundings of the new hotspot where the reception operations take place and we will have the opportunity to receive feedbacks from NGOs on the functioning of the hotspot and practical consequences of this new approach.

Please contact Elsa for more information.
Online registration can be found here.

OUR PUBLICATIONS

Progressive Structural Reforms. Proposals for European reforms to reduce inequalities and promote jobs, growth and social investment
On 1 December 2015, SOLIDAR published our edited volume “Progressive Structural Reforms. Proposals for European reforms to reduce inequalities and promote jobs, growth and social investment” in the European Parliament with the participation of several Members of the European Parliament, academics, civil society representatives and many other stakeholders.
Please find the online version here.

Social Progress Watch Report 2015
Two years after the launch of our tool for monitoring social progress at national level, SOLIDAR’s Social Progress Watch shows consistently the drastic impact of one-sided policy reforms focused on budget discipline and fiscal consolidation at national and regional level. Not only have Greece, Portugal and other Troika-ridden countries reached the limit of what is left of their social welfare states, economically prosperous countries also report deteriorating conditions for workers, the unemployed, youth and other groups.

Here you can find the 14 country reports developed by national strategy groups led by SOLIDAR members and partners: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom and the General Report for 2015.

All publications are available in our Online Knowledge Hub!

POLICY UPDATES

We would like to inform you that the SOLIDAR secretariat is currently feeding into the following legislative and non-legislative processes in the European Parliament, mainly in cooperation with the Greens and the Social Democrats.

Our contributions are based on your inputs to the Social Progress Watch 2015.

New EC Trade Strategy, Report in the Trade Committee, Opinion in EMPL
Women and Poverty, Opinion in EMPL and Report in FEMM
Social Dumping, Report in EMPL
Refugees: labour market and social integration, Own-initiative report in EMPL

UK deal – really a fair deal for European workers and the future of the EU?

Investment in the integration of migrants and refugees is key for a truly inclusive EU

SOLIDAR makes integration happen: AWO Refugium at the Marie-Schlei-House in Berlin

SOLIDAR makes integration happen: ABF’s integration of migrants and asylum seekers

SOLIDAR makes integration happen: Volkshilfe Austria and Solidar Suisse providing support for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

The EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review – Winter Edition

More solidarity needed to safeguard free movement and improve management of external borders

OTHER EVENTS

Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth
21 March 2016
Brussels, Belgium

FEAD Platform Launch Conference
2-3 June 2016
Brussels, Belgium

SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards
14 June 2016
Brussels, Belgium
More information and online nomination form can be found here.

NEXT MEETINGS OF THE SOCIAL AFFAIRS FORUM IN 2015

SAF and Roundtable on social standards
4-5 April 2016
Brussels, Belgium

SOLIDAR-ARCI study visit
13 May 2016
Pozzallo, Italy

The activities of our Together for Social Europe programme have been realised with financial support from DG Employment and Social Affairs in the framework of the PROGRESS axis under the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI).