AT A GLANCE
Policy Departments’ Monthly Highlights
Focus
Forthcoming events
A new balance between economic freedoms and social and
labour rights?
Overview of the
agricultural inputs sector
in the EU
Dear Reader,
Study presentation
While the Internal Market has been
enshrined in legally enforceable Treaty
provisions from 1958, social and labour
rights at EU level have developed
incrementally, almost as an afterthought,
until made binding through the Charter
of Fundamental Rights in 2009.
Where originally free moving workers were meant to be treated equally, in
practice the interpretation of economic freedoms has created avenues for
subjecting free movers to precarious employment, in turn disrupting local
employment conditions.
The study provided to our committee by Policy Department A explores
responses at national and EU level. The constitutionally conditioned Internal
Market emerges as an alternative approach to reconcile both spheres, with
concrete proposals on posting of workers and effective collective bargaining
and industrial action in the Internal Market.
Thomas Händel, MEP
Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
Forthcoming publications
Committee
Title
30 November 2015 - 17.30 to 18.30 - JAN 6Q2
Communicable diseases:
EU response to HIV,
TB and Hepatitis C
ENVI
Workshop
1 December 2015 - 12.30 to 14.30
Adoption - cross-border
legal issues
JURI
Workshop
1 December 2015 - 15.00 to 18.30 - ASP 1E2
EU-Canada Comprehensive
Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA)
INTA
Workshop
9 December 2015 - 14.30 to 17.00 - JAN 2Q2
Contacts
Publication date
ECON
The possible impact of changes to accounting and
solvency rules
Dec 2015
INTA
EU- China investment of trade relations: MES
Dec 2015
CULT
Evaluation of education at the European level
Jan 2016
FEMM
The issue of violence against women in the European
Union
Jan 2016
BUDG
Briefing for a mission to Turkey
Feb 2016
Supporting analyses
Access all Studies, In-depth analyses, Briefings and At a glance notes
produced by the Policy Departments.
All publications: www.europarl.europa.eu/supporting-analyses
DG IPOL & DG EXPO Policy Departments AGRI
Policy Department A - Economic and
Scientific Policy
ECON - ENVI - EMPL - IMCO - ITRE
[email protected]
Policy Department B - Structural and
Cohesion Policies
AGRI - CULT - PECH - REGI - TRAN
[email protected]
Policy Department C - Citizens’ Rights
and Constitutional Affairs
AFCO - FEMM - JURI - LIBE - PETI
[email protected]
Policy Department D - Budgetary Affairs
BUDG - CONT
[email protected]
Policy Department - External Policies
AFET - DEVE - DROI - INTA - SEDE
[email protected]
European Parliament
Published in cooperation with the Unit for Coordination of Editorial and Communication Activities
PE 568.988
November 2015
Highlights
EU social and labour rights and EU Internal Market law
Policy Department on Economic and Scientific Policy
September 2015
Having developed incrementally, EU social and labour rights only in 2009 became
legally binding through the Charter of Fundamental Rights for the European
Union (CFREU). The study requested by EMPL Committee develops the concept
of a constitutionally conditioned Internal Market as a way to overcome the
perception that social and labour rights limit Internal Market law. On this basis, alternative
responses to perceived tensions are proposed.
Internationalisation of higher education
Policy Department on Structural and Cohesion Policies
July 2015
Internationalisation of higher education is a relatively recent phenomenon.
The process is driven by political, economic, socio-cultural and academic
considerations. The study requested by CULT Committee examines the current
state and prospects of internationalisation of higher education. It is based on
two surveys, an analysis of the role of digital learning and 17 national reports. It makes
recommendations and suggests potential political action to be taken both at the level of the
EU and its Member States.
Exploring new avenues for legislation for labour migration
Policy Department on Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs
September 2015
The paradox between the need for labour migration and the lack of policy
instruments to attract labour from third countries is one of the key strategic
issues for Europe. This study requested by LIBE Committee reviews the social
and economic context of EU international labour migration policy, the status of
relevant EU legislation and the available policy options, as well as their feasibility, for opening
up legal labour migration channels to the EU.
Composition of the Commission’s expert groups
Policy Department on Budgetary Affairs
September 2015
Expert Groups are set up by the Commission or its services to provide them with
advice and expertise. The study requested by BUDG and CONT committees aims
to provide insights into the development of the European Commission’s system
of Expert Groups, including the Register. The specific focus is an assessment of
the EC’s compliance with a set of conditions attached to repeated EP budget reserves for the
expert groups budget.
Migrants in the Mediterranean: Protecting human rights
Policy Department on External Policies
October 2015
A European Union has adopted a number of measures to improve the protection
of migrants attempting to reach the EU by sea. The study requested by DROI
Committee examines the existing and planned EU policies and actions to protect
the human rights of migrants before entering the EU by sea and after they have
left the EU. It concludes that the measures should be implemented better and the EU actions
should shift from protection of its external borders against ‘illegal’ immigration to developing
strategies to protect lives.
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Disclaimer: The items contained herein are drafted by the policy departments of the European Parliament and are provided for general
information purposes only. The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent
the official position of the European Parliament.