VENUE:                                Room JDE 62, Jacques Delors building, Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels.

INTERPRETING:                 From ES, DE, EN, FR, IT, PT into DE, EN, FR, PT; sign language.

TWITTER:                           Hashtags: #unemployment #EESC.

 

10 – 10:15 a.m.

Welcome and opening :

  • Pavel Trantina, President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)
  • Carlos Trindade, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO)

10:15 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

Session 1 - Current tools and initiatives to fight long-term unemployment

Moderator: Carlos Trindade, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO)

10:15 – 11 a.m.

First discussion on the current state of play

  1. What is the current situation regarding long-term unemployment in the EU? How is the 2016 Council recommendation in this field monitored?
  2. How can LMO's project to assess the implementation of the recommendation contribute to EU institutions' work?
  3. Are there good practices and interesting initiatives on the inclusion of long-term unemployed people in the labour market?

 

Panelists:

  • Laura Agea, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), European Parliament (IT, EFD) (tbc)
  • Gelu Călăcean, Policy Coordinator, Unit on Employment strategy, Directorate on Employment, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission
  • John Rowan, Head of the Secretariat of the Employment Committee of the Council of the EU (EMCO)
  • Donald Storrie, Chief Researcher - Coordinator, Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions)

11 – 11:45 a.m.

General discussion

11:45 a.m.– 12:15 p.m.

Second discussion: good practices and further initiatives for the inclusion of long-term unemployed into the labour market

 

Panelists:

  • Mara Brugia, Deputy-Director, Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training)
  • Eamonn Davern, Policy officer in charge of the Public Employment Services (PES) Network, DG Employment, Social affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
  • Ben Egan, Adviser, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
  • Robert Plummer, Adviser, Businesseurope (tbc)

12:15 – 1 p.m.

General discussion

 

 

1 – 2:30 p.m.

Lunch break

 

 

2:30 – 3.45 p.m.

 

Session 2 - Improving employment opportunities for Roma

Moderator: Ákos Topolánszky, President of the EESC Permanent study group on Inclusion of the Roma

2:30 – 3:15 p.m.

Discussion on:

  • What are the specific challenges as regards inclusion of Roma into the labour market?
  • Are there good practices in this field and how to build upon them?

 

Panelists:

  • Soraya Post, Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), European Parliament (SE, S&D group)
  • Dominique Bé, Policy Officer, Unit on Disability and Inclusion, Directorate on Social Affairs, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission
  • Gábor Daróczi, Expert in issues related to Roma
  • Marta Pinto, Senior Policy Officer, European Roma Information Office (ERIO)

3:15 – 3:45 p.m.

General discussion

3:45 – 4:50 p.m.

 

Session 3 - Improving employment opportunities for persons with disabilities

Moderator: Christophe Lefèvre, Member of the EESC Permanent study group on Disability rights

3:45 – 4:30 p.m.

Discussion on:

  1. What are the specific challenges as regards inclusion of persons with disabilities into the labour market?
  2. Are there good practices in this field and how to build upon them?

 

Panelists:

  • Marek Plura, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), European Parliament (PL, EPP group)
  • Hana Velecka, Policy officer, Unit on disability and inclusion, Directorate on Social Affairs, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission
  • Ignacio Velo Antolín, Head of International Business Development, Ilunion Group, Spain’s social business leader service provider and advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities into the workforce
  • Sabrina Ferraina, Policy Manager, European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)

4:30 – 4:55 p.m.

General discussion

4:55 – 5 p.m.

Conclusions:

Carlos Trindade, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO)

 

Downloads

Draft programme - LMO long-term unemployment