On the agenda of Social Platform Working Groups

This month Social Platform working groups meet to discuss current EU affairs, these are some of the issues that will be discussed:

Transversal issues discussed by all working groups:

  •     Social Platform draft position paper on Migration
  •     Social Platform response to the Social Investment Package
  •     Social Platform’s messages to the EPSCO Council of June 20-21 and European Council of June 27-28


Working Group on Services of General Interest – May 23

  •     Social Innovation: information sharing session with Freek Spinnewijn, Director, FEANTSA
  •     Updates on public procurement, state aid and the revision of the directive on VAT; in the meanwhile the Commission has lauched a second consultation on the revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation (state aid)
  •     Discussion on the proposal for a directive on bank accounts that was issued by the Commission on May 8. see our brief analysis in previous weekly update

Working Group on Social Policy – May 28

  •     Frederik Lamberty of the European Commission DG Employment, will come to discuss with us the European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion, looking at the state of play of its implementation and at how the EPAP is linked to the SIP
  •     Marie-Anne Paraskevas, representative of the European Commission (DG EMPL), Diego Villalba de Miguel and Nathalie Noupadja (DG REGIO), will present the state of play on the EU Funding: Multi-annual Financial Framework and relevant funds (CPR and ESF in particular)


Working Group on Fundamental Rights and Equality – May 30

  •     Julien Desmedt, European Commission (DG Justice) will present the Commissions 2012 Report on the Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
  •     Mr Jan Jařab, Regional Representative, the EU Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will present and discuss how to apply the international human rights framework to EU advocacy and policy work; What do we mean with a human rights approach? How can we mainstream a human rights approach to the social dimension of the EU economic governance? Debbie Kohner, Director of the newly established Permanent Secretariat of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions is also invited