Key Documents
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OECD Report: Sickness, Disability and Work: Breaking the Barriers (Vol. 1)
Norway, Poland and Switzerland 07-11-2006Too many workers leave the labour market permanently due to health problems, and yet too many people with a disabling condition are denied the opportunity to work. This is a social and economic tragedy common to virtually all member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and an apparent paradox that needs explaining. View Details -
The Business Case for Diversity
Brussels 01-10-2006Recognising and promoting diversity among employees in private enterprises can have many positive effects on a business. This is the message of a report based on two surveys carried out in 2005, which produced 919 responses from companies across the European Union. View Details -
EQUAL Opportunity Employment
Brussels 01-10-2006The EQUAL initiative aims to put an end to discrimination in employment, whether in recruitment or in the workplace. Projects throughout Europe are providing successful and providing guidance on how to move forward in this crucial area to ensure that the EU makes the most of every member of its workforce. View Details -
Publication: Employment Guidance Services for People with Disabilities
01-09-2006The number of people on long-term disability benefits in Europe is rising and this group is particularly at risk of social exclusion. Although many of those away from work for a long period due to illness or injury would like to rejoin the workforce, very few actually do so in practice. View Details -
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All 2007
Brussels 17-08-2006The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All in 2007 will seek to make people in the EU more aware of their rights to enjoy equal treatment and a life free of discrimination. These are two of the basic principles underpinning the Union. The Year will also launch a major debate on the benefits of diversity for European societies. View Details -
Council of Europe adopts Disability Action Plan 2006-2015
27-06-2006 The Committee of Ministers has adopted a recommendation addressed to all 46 member states on the Council of Europe's "Action Plan to promote the rights and full participation in society of people with disabilities : improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Europe 2006-2015". The Action Plan will be launched in September 2006 at a European Ministerial Conference in St. Petersburg. View Details -
A Cross-national Comparison of Disability Policies and Organisations for and of Disabled People in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
28-11-2005, Brussels This study was compiled by the European Platform for Rehabilitation as an aid in its efforts to locate and contact potential new member organisations in Central and Eastern Europe. View Details -
'European Platform for Rehabilitation' Report: "10 Key Stakeholders in the European Disability Sector"
28-11-2005, Brussels This report provides summary information about 10 major players in the field of disability at the European level. View Details -
Situation of Disabled People in the Enlarged European Union: the European Action Plan 2006 - 2007
28-11-2005, Brussels This Communication presents the EU Disability Action Plan's second phase for the period 2006-2007,with an emphasis on the newly enlarged Europe. View Details -
'European Platform for Rehabilitation' Report: "Disability Mainstreaming in the Framework of the European Employment Strategy: a Collection of Good Practices"
13-10-2005, Brussels In 2004 the European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) was asked to provide the European Commission DG Employment and Social Affairs with examples of good practices regarding disability mainstreaming in the framework of the European Employment Strategy.View Details -
Demands of the European Disability Forum Regarding the European Structural Funds for 2007-2013
01-03-2005, Brussels In this short paper, the European Disability Forum (EDF) sets out its demands for the use of the proposed 336.1 billion Euro European Structural Funds in the funding period 2007-2013.View Details -
Disability Mainstreaming in the European Employment Strategy
13-10-2005, Brussels This Communication presents the European Commission's thinking about the specific barriers faced by people with disabilities as regards labour market participation. View Details
(Communication of the Commission, COM (2005) 486 final of 13 October 2005) -
Report: " Employment and Disability: Back to work strategies" (2004).
By Richard Wynne, Work Research Centre and Donal MacAnaney, REHAB Group .
Published by the European Foundation for Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Dublin.View Details -
European Communication on Social Dialogue, 12.8.2004
1-12-2004 The European Commission has published a Communication pointing to the future of Social Dialogue. Attracting more people to the labour market is high on the Agenda.View Details
Partnership for change in an enlarged Europe - Enhancing the contribution of European social dialogue -
Draft Joint Report on Social Inclusion: Frequently Asked Questions
Brussels 12-12-2003 The Commission released a Draft Joint Report on Social Inclusion in December 2003. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about the report and the statistics it includes. View Details -
Council of Europe: Final Activity Report of the Committee of Experts on Promoting Access to Employment
5-12-2003 GUIDELINES ON LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYMENT
In 2001, the Council of Europe released this report on Promoting Access to Employment. View Details -
Commission Releases a European Action Plan on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities
27-11-2003 With the opportunity provided by the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 the European Commission has drawn up a European Action Plan for the provision of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities. You can read the Action Plan in its entirety by clicking on the link below. To see the Table of Contents, please click "View Details"View Details -
Commission's Common Objectives in Fight Against Social Exclusion
At the European Councils in Lisbon and in Feira, the Member States of the European Union took a major initiative by making the fight against poverty and social exclusion one of the central elements in the modernisation of the European social model. The Heads of State and Government agreed on the need to take steps to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by setting suitable objectives to be agreed by the Council by the end of the year.View Details -
European Parliament Resolution On UN Convention On Rights Of Disabled People
5-9-2003 At the September 2003 European Parliament Plenary Session Liz Lynne MEP, for the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, will be tabling a draft own-initiative resolution on the Commission Communication entitled "Towards a United Nations legally binding instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities".View Details -
The Employment Situation of People with Disabilities in the European Union
- Study prepared by EIM Business and Policy Research for the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs, August 2001View Details -
Council Resolution On The Integration of People With Disabilities
30-7-2003 On 15 July 2003 the Council adopted a Resolution on promoting the employment and social integration of people with disabilities. The Resolution calls on Member States and the European Commission to promote greater co-operation with all bodies concerned with people with disabilities at national and European level, including civil society and the full integration and participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of society.View Details -
"eInclusion in Europe" - Speech by Erkki Liikanen, Member of the European Commission Enterprise and Information Society
15-7-2003 During the Symposium on e-Inclusion: Towards an Inclusive Information Society in Europe which occured in Crete on 11 April 2003, Commissioner Liikanen gave a speech on the priorieties and actions taken by the European Union and the roles and responsibilities of EU member states in promoting e-Inclusion.View Details -
Sweden Moves to Extend Protection Against Discrimination
15-7-2003 A new Act prohibiting discrimination came into force on 1 July 2003 in Sweden. The new Act extends effective protection against discrimination from working life and higher education to certain other areas of society.View Details -
Impact of the EU Employment Directive in the UK
18-3-2003 In response to the EU Employment Directive (2000) the Westminster Government has brought forward proposals to amend legislation that protects people from discrimination in employment and training on grounds of sex, race and disability, though there will be no fundamental changes to the approach.View Details -
EU Social Inclusion Report 2001
European Union Social Inclusion report 2001
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/soc-incl/index_en.htm -
European Industrial Relations Observatory
Workers with disabilities: law, bargaining and the social partners. An EIRO comparative study on employment and disability, government promotion measures, collective bargaining and disability, and social partners' views and contribution towards the promotion of measures. http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/print/2001/02/study/TN0102201S.html -
EU e-Inclusion Report
European Union e-Inclusion reportView Details -
Commission's Common Objectives in Fight Against Social Exclusion
The Commission has outlined the common objectives in its fight against social exclusion.View Details -
Combatting Social Exclusion 2002-2006
The Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion 2002-2006.View Details -
Declaration of the Social Partners on the Employment of People With Disabilities
The European social partners declaration on actions required to promote employment of people with disabilities:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/social/news/declaration_en.htm -
Commission's First Step Towards Poverty Strategy
Commission News article on Social Inclusion: Commission Takes First Step Towards EU Poverty Strategy (October 2001), PDF format.
In English: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/oct/i01_1395_en.html
Social Inclusion article in PDF format in Danish: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/oct/i01_1395_da.html
Social Inclusion article in PDF format in Greek: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/oct/i01_1395_el.html -
The Commission's Joint Report on Social Inclusion (03-12-2001)
Part 1:View Details
Part 2:View Details
Annex:View Details
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ILO's Managing Disability in the Workplace
International Labour Organisation, Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace.View Details -
National Action Plans on Social Inclusion 2001
Denmark:View Details
Greece:View Details
Ireland:View Details
You can access the National Action Plans in PDF format for all European Union member states at this link:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/jun/napsincl2001_en.html -
COUNCIL DECISION of 3 December 2001 on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003
18-1-2003 Read the European Council Decision that established 2003 as the European Year of People with Disabilities.View Details -
The Madrid Declaration
The Madrid Declaration, the vision set by the participants of the European Congress on Disability that provides a conceptual framework for action for the European Year of People with Disabilities can be accessed with the following link: http://www.madriddeclaration.org/dec/MADRID_DECLARATION_EN-final.pdf -
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament "Towards a United Nations Legally Binding Instrument to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities"
25-1-2003 This Communication sets out the European Commission's position regarding a possible international legally binding instrument to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.View Details -
Danish disability policy - equal opportunities through dialogue
To an outsider it can be very difficult to form an impression of how a country has chosen to organise and administer a given political sphere. This also applies to Danish disability policy. If you are not actually brought up with the system it can be very difficult to understand the background and the way things work. Language difficulties, different cultural, organisational and administrative frames of reference are some of the obstacles to be overcome.View Details -
Integration of Disabled People in Society
TIn order to increase the employment levels of disabled people: EU Member States should ensure the implementation of the EU directive on equal treatment in the workplace; the European Commission should propose strengthening current guideline 7 in the Employment Guidelines; the social partners at EU level should propose new initiatives for the employment of disabled people; EU directives on public procurement should allow for public authorities to include the employment of disabled people as an award criteria and, finally, the EU Labour Force Survey should include information on the situation of disabled people.View Details -
Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 Establishing a General Framework for Equal Treatment in Employment and Occupation
27-11-2000 The purpose of this Directive is to lay down a general framework for combating discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation as regards employment and occupation, with a view to putting into effect in the Member States the principle of equal treatment.View Details