News
Social Platform's current priorities and actions
[09/05/2012]

On May 8 Social Platform's working group on Fundamental Rights and Anti-Discrimination met to discuss current EU policy work within the field. Below you can find some of the key points discussed with related presentations:
  • See power point presentation (PDF) from several points of the meeting by Annica Ryngbeck (Secretariat) (only accessible for members)
  • Social Platform's position on the EU's financial regulations: Annica Ryngbeck (Secretariat) informed about the Platform's work on the Commissions proposal for a Rights and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020 and on the Structural Funds in regards to the ex-ante conditionality (on e.g. anti-discrimination) which is being questioned by the Council and that we are going to prepare a Platform reaction on. Members are encouraged to keep the Secretariat up-to-date on their work for better coordination and impact.
  • Fundamental Rights and Services of General Interest (SGI): Social Platform actively works to ensure that our work on fundamental rights and equality is present in all our policy areas we work on. Valentina Caimi (Policy Advisor, Secretariat) presented a couple of areas of SGI is particulary relevant for our members working on fundamental rights (see our weekly news for an overview of our activities)
    • Social Platform position on CARE: Members are reminded about our joint recommendations: for care practices and policies that respect the fundamental rights of care users, promote social inclusion and quality of life for all. Notice the opportunity to input with our recommendations on the Commission consultation on ‘exploiting the employment potential of the personal and household services – towards a job-rich recovery’ (Commissions staff working document (SWD(2012)95)). Deadline: July 15
    • Commission’s consultation on bank accounts is an opportunity to raise the impact of violations of fundamental social rights in order to access bank accounts. Deadline: June 12
    • Social consideration in public procurement: Valentina explains to members (see her power point presentation (PDF) (only accessible for members) why it is important that social consideration is kept in the Commissions proposal for public procurement in order to achieve other social policy goals. See also the Commission’s guide on taking account of social consideration in public procurement (2011)

  • Members discussed our work to prepare messages on investing in equality to the EPSCO Council in December and on the opportunity of using the Equality Summit in November as a venue for our messages (See power point presentation, only accessible for members)

  • Members represented in the European Roma Policy Coalition presented their assessment of the National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS) and in what way the Platform can use the results. See Marta Pinto’s (ERIO) power point presentation (PDF) (only accessible for members). Shannon Pfohman’s (ENAR/Chair of the Coalition) presentation was based on the analysis of the National Roma Integration Strategies (March, 2012)

  • Members discussed Social Platforms draft position towards EU actions against all forms of bias violence: deadline for members final inputs: May 18. For more information contact Annica Ryngbeck. The paper is planned to be voted on by the Platform's Steering Group on June 5.