13 March 2013, EPSU Statement - Promoting national social dialogue practices in social care and services Today, the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) organises an important meeting on social dialogue in social care and social services with the participation of more than 60 participants from 20 European countries. This meeting is intended to start off a more intensive and comprehensive cooperation at European level by the most representative organisation in this field (...)

Brussels, 30 January 2013 Business Europe, the European Private Sector Employers’ Organisation, has recently presented an initiative to promote models labelled “public-private-partnership (PPP) in social policy in the common interest”. Business Europe claims that this format of delivery of social policies and in particular social services would help pushing the “efficiency in the delivery of social services”, “cost effectiveness in public spending” and “access to quality and affordable social (...)

24 October 2012: 09.00 - 15.30/15.45 Luxembourg - Jean Monnet Building, Room JMO M2- Plateau du Kirchberg meeting documents

(Brussels, 22 June 2012) Last week Friday, 22 June 2012, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels hosted the final conference of the PESSIS (promoting employers’ social service organisations in social dialogue) project. The project, co-financed by DG EMPL, aims at a better understanding of how social dialogue is organised and structured (or not) in the social sector in Europe, based on a mapping exercise covering 11 EU Member States (A, B, D, E, F, FIN, GB, GR, IRL, NL (...)

(Brussels, 12 December 2011) Today a new European network, Social Services Europe, was launched to strengthen the profile and position of social services, and to promote the role of not-for-profit social service providers throughout Europe. It brings together seven Europe-wide networks of not-for-profit providers of social and health care services, SOLIDAR, Eurodiaconia, the European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR), Workability Europe, European Federation of National Organizations (...)

(Brussels, 6 July 2011) The European Parliament in its Plenary Session of 5 July adopted the own-initiative report on the future of social services of general interest (SSGI), (2009/2222(INI)), presented by rapporteur Proinsias De Rossa (S&D, IRL). EPSU has been involved in all stages of the process of preparing, drafting and discussing the report. The final version of the report has not yet been made available, we therefore for the time being link to the report as of 22 June 2011 (...)

(Brussels, 20 June 2011) The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 6 June adopted the own-initiative report on social services of general interest (SSGI), presented by rapporteur Proinsias De Rossa (S&D, IRL). Personal social services such as elderly and long-term care, child care, care for people with disabilities, social housing, etc., contribute to social protection, social inclusion and social cohesion. They enhance the capacity of individuals to enjoy (...)

(Brussels 10 March 2011) The European Public Service Union (EPSU) intervened on Proinsias De Rossa’s EP own-initiative report ‘The future of social services’ in the Trade Union Intergroup Plenary Meeting held on 10 March 2011 in Strasbourg. The input in to the debate comprised EPSU’s assessment of the draft report (as of 2 March 2011) and highlighted issues of key importance for both ETUC and EPSU as to the further development of the legal, policy and quality framework for SSGI at EU-level. (...)

(Brussels 10 February 2011) EPSU (the European Federation of Public Service Unions) was invited to speak at a hearing of social partners organised on 25 January 2011 by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament. EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel highlighted EPSU´s expectations and recommendations in view of the legal and quality framework for social services of general interest (SSGI) at European level. She also made suggestions as to which (...)