EUROPEAN YEAR FOR COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION (2010)

Strasbourg, 22 October 2008: Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou MEP, Hans-Gert Poettering MEP (EPP-ED, Germany), President of the European Parliament, and Jan Andersson MEP

22/10/2008: The Codecision file on "European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010) " was signed by President Poettering together with the French Presidency, in presence of Mrs Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Mr Jan Andersson, in Strasbourg. Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, was the draftswoman for the above mentioned report which was adopted by the European Parliament on 17 June with large majority and recently received final approval by the Council.

For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447 - Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu

''BETTER LATE THAN NEVER'' FOR TEMPORARY WORKERS

21/10/2008: The Directive on Temporary Workers was the focus of MEPs' discussions in the October plenary session in Strasbourg.

Speaking in the plenary, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, stressed the importance of the Directive which provides for the consolidation of the rights mainly for women as they constitute a large part of temporary workers.

According to Eurostat (2005, Europe of 25), the percentage of temporary female workers reached 14.9% compared to 13.9% for men. The percentage reached 14.7% (10.25% for men) in Greece, 13.6% (14% for men) in Germany and 14.2% (12.5% for men) in France.

"The new proposal protects and promotes the rights of workers with respect to human value and contribution. The implementation of laws must be safeguarded for all workers and the same payment, insurance and protection conditions have to be guaranteed for any type of work, whether it is for a one-day job or a permanent one", said the MEP.

The Directive intends to fill the existing legislative void on the matter, and it constitutes social progress. It is also an important victory for the EU-27, as it puts forward several issues:

• The equality of treatment for temporary workers;
• The respect of social rules by the companies
• The recognition of temporary employment companies as a legal and professional commercial activity.

Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou underlined that the present Directive will create the framework in which temporary work will contribute in creating new and flexible jobs and an alternative to unemployment without leaving out security, and where healthy competition distortions will be avoided.

Taking into consideration the Member States' different traditional employment practices, differences in the Directive may be allowed in agreement with the social partners. As an example, Greek legislation guarantees the same treatment for both temporary workers and permanent workers from the very first working day within the same company.
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For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447 - Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu

POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION ROUND TABLE

15/10/2008: The seventh round table on poverty and social exclusion, organised by the French Presidency of the EU, was held on Wednesday 15 October 2008 in Marseille.
This meeting comes ahead of the so-called P7, a meeting of EU Ministers responsible of poverty and social exclusion.

Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP, author of Parliament's report on the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion 2010, represented Parliament at the event's plenary session.

The French Presidency representative, Martin Hirsch, High Commissioner for active inclusion against poverty, welcomed the guests by presenting the Round Table's objectives. His intervention was followed by a presentation of the three pillar approach to active inclusion, and by speeches of various stakeholders, such as D.Jarre, Vice-President of the Social Platform, J.Niemec, Confederate Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation, I.Nouhoum, Representative of the delegations appointed during the 7th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty, L.Van Embden Andres, President of the workgroup social welfare, Business Europe, and J. Vignon, Director of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission.

Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, presented her report on the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion, which constitutes a further step towards reinforced social solidarity. This European Year embodies the EU's commitment to eradicate factors obstructing the full realisation of the Lisbon Strategy's goals and to create a more egalitarian society. The activities of the European Year will advance the progress made with the Open Method of Coordination on social protection and social inclusion, launched in Lisbon.

Furthermore, the decision to establish the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion, recently accepted by the Council, aims at proposing concrete actions financed by the EU and Member States. The allocated budget to these actions amounts to €17m, and the priorities are, amongst others, the promotion of integrated approaches of social inclusion and the eradication of disparities and poverty, especially affecting children and families in distress.

"The ongoing economical crisis in Europe has given us the opportunity to stress the importance of solidarity, responsibility, transparency and structural reforms to increase employment." declared the Greek MEP.
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For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447 - Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu

JOSEPH DAUL CONGRATULATES THE SIX EPP-ED WINNERS OF THE PARLIAMENT MAGAZINE MEP AWARDS 2008

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09/10/2008:Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, has congratulated the EPP-ED winners of The Parliament Magazine MEP Awards 2008. Daul said that this is international acknowledgement of the EPP-ED Group's political work.

Six members of the EPP-ED Group were honoured with an award in several categories: Kinga Gál (Justice and Civil Liberties), Alojz Peterle (Health and Food Safety), Neil Parish (Agriculture and Fisheries), Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou (Employment and Social Affairs), Alejo Vidal-Quadras (Energy), and Paul Rübig (Research and Innovation).

The Parliament Magazine, devoted to issues concerning the European Union, held its annual awards ceremony for 2008 on 8 October. The nominations were made by European non-governmental organisations and the final decisions were made by the Members of the European Parliament.

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DECENT WORK

06/10/2008: Statement by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee

In light of the International Day for Decent Work (Tuesday 7 October), Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Member of the European Parliament and draftswoman of the report on promoting decent work for all, stressed the importance of the EU's contribution to the promotion of decent working conditions and acceptable living standards for all.

The European Employment Policy aims at creating high quality employment, defending and guaranteeing workers' rights, such as health protection and social security, achieving effective social protection, promoting social dialogue and using communication and negotiation as tools in the resolution of work-related issues.

Efforts have been made both at International (United Nations, International Labour Organisation) and European level (European Commission report on the EU contribution to the promotion of decent work in the world of 2008) in view of the reinforcement of the Agenda on Decent Work. These efforts also contribute to the improvement of working conditions, to the development of measures striving to combat any type of discrimination, and to the attraction of a highly-qualified workforce.

"Issues such as working time, temporary workers' status, coordination of social security systems and pensions are questions that need to be resolved in the most appropriate manner in order for workers to be protected and to be able to fully participate the labour market. They should improve and emphasise their skills by adapting themselves to the political and social developments. To that end, the EP's role will be essential", stated the Greek MEP.

EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION IN MARSEILLES

03/10/2008: Initiated by the petitions submitted by French citizens on the possible environmental consequences from the construction and the continuing operation of a household waste incineration unit in Marseilles (Fos-sur-Mer), France, a three-day visit of a delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions, in which Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP participated, was organised last week.

The incineration unit, which is under construction, will be used for waste treatment of the wider urban region of Marseilles (18 municipalities) including recycling, methanisation and incineration departments.

The incineration department is a cause for protest as it could increase air pollution in the region by 1 or 2%. For the moment, waste is treated at an open-air dump which has been operating since 1912 and puts the aquifer horizon in the area at risk.

Delegation members will transmit their experiences and the information gathered from the visit to the Committee on Petitions so that it contributes with its decisions in the promotion of the most optimal choices which will benefit the residents in one of the most over-populated and developed industrial regions of Europe.

THE EUROPEAN PACT ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM

26/09/2008: The European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, launched by the French EU Presidency, seeks to achieve an active political commitment on the part of the EU and the Member States concerning common principles for the formulation of migration policies in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility. In this connection, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP asked the Council the following question:

"What binding agreements with countries situated on the EU's borders, and in particular applicant countries, concerning transit immigrants from third countries does the Council intend to propose with a view to making Europe an area of security, justice and freedom?".

In his answer, J-P Jouyet, representative of the French Presidency, said: "The most effective tools we have to fight against illegal immigration, are the Readmission Agreements with third countries, which are in the vicinity of the European Union". Such agreements involve reciprocal undertakings by the European Union and the third-country partners to co-operate over the return of illegal residents to their country of origin or transit.
He also said: "The Community managed to conclude agreements with 11 third countries. This is the case with the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia (FYR-Macedonia), whose agreement came into effect on 1 January 2008. With regards to Turkey, the negotiations started officially in 2005. As far as Croatia is concerned, there is no mandate to carry out negotiations for a readmission agreement and the Council wished, in the case of this country, a fast progress in the ongoing negotiations. The pact which will be discussed and, we hope, approved by the European Council on October 15, will stress the political importance of the Readmission Agreements within the framework of the fight against illegal immigration."

European solidarity expressed in the framework of a common migration policy wishes to create the basis for not only safe and fair mobility, but also fair competition.