Across Europe, public health systems are facing shrinking budgets and increased demand. Health and social care systems are strained by demographic change, an ageing population, increasing incidence of chronic diseases and financial pressures.  With health being one of the highest resource-consuming sectors of the economy, EU member states are under pressure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their healthcare systems and processes.

EU’s social partners joined European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras (representing the rotating EU presidency) at The Tripartite Social Summit held today (20.3.2014) ahead of the Spring EU Council.

The Summit focused on the launching of the Strategy “Europe 2020” and agreed on the need for further collective efforts to pursue sustainable economic growth, while ensuring social cohesion and quality employment.

Find below the joint Press conference

EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers discussed at an EPSCO Council meeting today (10.3.2014) under the Greek Presidency, the European Semester, Europe 2020 Strategy, youth employment and Youth Guarantee related issues and adopted a Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeship.

The first session of the EPSCO Council under the Greek Presidency took place today, (10.3.2014) in Brussels, chaired by the Greek Minister of Labour, Social Security and Welfare, Ioannis Vroutsis.

For many people, violence against women is an intolerable behaviour taking place behind closed doors, in troubled personal relationships between underprivileged people with poor education and limited opportunities to improve their lives. But such a claim could not be furthest from truth. Violence against women is a classless phenomenon that permeates all social strata and appears to be challenging various stereotypes we might be holding true.