European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
social issues
Maternity and paternity leave in the EU
Written by Ulla Jurviste, Martina Prpic and Giulio Sabbati, Updated in March 2019 In 2019, the EU institutions are set to approve new work-life balance legislation, which will introduce minimum standards for paid paternity leave across the EU. The maternity rights set out in the 1992 Pregnant Workers Directive will be maintained. This directive sets … Continue reading
Common unemployment insurance scheme for the euro area : Cost of Non-Europe Report
The European Parliament has called for a “social dimension” to the Economic and Monetary Union to tackle unemployment and restore growth following the recent economic crisis. Among various alternative options, automatic stabilisers could potentially be means of stabilising the Eurozone, while at the same time addressing social problems associated with the financial crisis. This Cost … Continue reading
Measuring well-being and progress: Looking beyond GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of national economic production, has come to be used as a general measure of well-being and progress in society, and as a key indicator in deciding a wide range of public policies. However GDP does not properly take into account non-economic factors such as social issues and the environment. … Continue reading
Welfare benefits and intra-EU mobility
“Welfare tourism” expresses the concern that individuals use the right of free movement of persons with a view to benefiting from a more favourable welfare system. The principle of free movement of persons entitles EU citizens to reside in another Member State, under certain conditions. Only limited restrictions can curtail this right, namely temporary restrictions … Continue reading
Free movement of persons in the EU: how free, under what conditions and for whom?
Updated on 29 November 2013 EU citizens’ right to move freely within the EU is central to the European project. Initially established as a freedom designed exclusively for workers (Article 48, Treaty of Rome), the free movement of persons is nowadays enshrined as one of the EU citizenship rights in Article 21 TFEU. Therefore, “every citizen“, irrespective … Continue reading
Child poverty and social exclusion: A framework for European action
More than one child in four in the European Union (EU) is at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The poverty rate for children is higher than that for any other age group, though it varies widely across Member States (MS). Over the past decade, exchanges between EU institutions, MS and civil society have led … Continue reading
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