Employment and Social Policy Presidency Events 1. Ministerial Informal (EPSCO) - 7/8 July 2005, Waterfront Hall, Belfast The Informal will be an opportunity for Ministers to explore how employment can increased and inclusion improved for: - the economically inactive - young people - older people Ministers will be invited to visit employment projects based in Belfast that have been successful in targeting help at groups of people who have previously been excluded from the labour market. Ministerial discussions will be organised around workshops which will identify effective policy responses. Attendance: EU Employment ministers, social partners, NGOs Contact: Frances Thompson 0207 340 4482 [email protected] 2. High Performance Workplace Conference –  15 September 2005, London A major conference, building on the work of the Irish Presidency. The objective of the event is to raise the profile of the concept of high performance workplaces, agree a common understanding of its key elements and demonstrate how it can contribute to productivity growth and the Lisbon goals. Attendance: Officials, business representatives and social partners Contact: Melissa Perry 0207 215 6645 [email protected] 3. Hazardous Installations Directorate (HID) CCA meeting –  12/13 October 2005, Buxton One day conference looking at Seveso (control of major-accident hazards)   implementation and future strategies to enhance consistent compliance, followed by a site visit to the new Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) site in Buxton, Derbyshire. Attendance: Senior Health and Safety officers Contact: Anton Wilson 0151 951 5772 [email protected]

4. European Social Fund Conference –  14 October 2005, Manchester This event will examine how ESF in 2000-06 is supporting national policies to promote employment opportunities for all. It will showcase good practice from current ESF programmes, looking at their contribution to the Lisbon employment agenda and disseminating good practice to domestic policy makers and planners. This will help to inform the development of successor programmes after 2006. Attendance: European Social Fund policy makers and project staff Contact: Duncan Carnie 0114 267 7293 [email protected] 5. Social Inclusion Round Table/ EMCO/ SPC –  17/18/19 October 2005, Edinburgh/Glasgow The Round table is an annual event which usually takes place in Oct, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders in the EU Social Inclusion process. Discussion is likely to focus on looking forward to the 2006 Social Inclusion NAP.  Following on from this, we are bringing together both the EMCO and SPC events for a combined seminar. Attendance: Officials, NGOs, social partners Contact: Tricia Griffiths 0207 712 2477 [email protected] 6. Occupational Health and Safety Conference - 18/19 October, Liverpool This event is intended to focus on health and safety as a key element of EU Social Policy and key factor  contributing to the success of the Lisbon agenda.   Attendance: Health and Safety officials, employers and social partners Contact: Rob Olsen 0207 717 6491 [email protected] 7.  eAccessibility conference –  21 October, Landmark Hotel, London The main theme running through the conference will be the forthcoming Communication from the European Commission on eAccessibility, which will set out an action plan to ensure that disabled and elderly citizens in Europe get equal access to electronic ICT products and therefore enjoy the social and economic freedom that these products and services gives everyone. Speakers; EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, Richard Howitt (President of the European Parliament's All Party Disability Group), Bert Massie (Chief Executive of the Disability Rights Commission) and Yannis Vardakastanis (President of European Disability Forum). Attendance: Officials and disability groups

Contact: Paul Redwin 0207 215 1853 [email protected] 8. MISSOC –  27/28 October 2005, Newman Room, Catholic Chaplincy, Oxford MISSOC meets twice yearly and is hosted by the MS holding the Presidency. It was established by the Commission as an instrument to provide the continuous exchange of information on social protection between MS and EFTA countries.  Its main task is to collect and process detailed factual information on the organisational structure and legal regulations of social protection. Attendance: Officials working in the field of social protection Contact: Mary Gough 0207 340 4328 [email protected] 10. Informed Choices: Retirement and Savings –  9 November 2005, Brussels The population throughout Europe is both ageing and living longer, with resulting concern about the future sustainability of State spending on pensions. All Member States are having to make a radical re-appraisal of their current pension provision, both State and private, to cope with expected demographic changes. The UK has developed the Informed Choice programme, which aims to foster an increasingly proactive approach by individuals to saving for retirement. The Informed Choices: Retirement and Savings meeting will showcase the Informed Choice programme and similar programmes from two other Member States. It will also allow Member Stares to focus on the key challenges, the steps taken so far to address those shared challenges, and how Member States can best work together to meet them. Attendance: Pension officials and stakeholders Contact: Geoff Warriner 020 7712 2474 [email protected] 11. Gender Equality Conference- Equality Ministers’ Informal - 7/8/9 November 2005, Birmingham  (M) 2005 will mark the tenth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, which was agreed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. The Luxembourg and UK Presidencies have agreed, (in conjunction with the Commission and other Member States) to highlight this anniversary as the central theme of our gender equality Presidency programmes. At their conference in February, Luxembourg will focus on the different models of national machineries for women that Member States have evolved to

implement Beijing, whilst at the UK conference (7/8 Nov) we will highlight practical models of good practice and cutting edge policy that Member States have successfully developed, to help implement and progress the Beijing Platform for Action. This conference will involve a broad spectrum of partners, such as NGOs, academics, senior policy officials, social partners  and MEPs, totalling up to  200 people. Following the excellent practice established by most Presidencies over the last few years, we will invite Equality Ministers to an Informal meeting, which will take place immediately after the wider conference (8/9 Nov, Birmingham). Ministers will be able to consider how EU Member States have taken forward the agenda set in Beijing. We will be discussing ideas for format and content of the Ministerial at a meeting with Luxembourg and Luisa Pavan Wolfe on 5 November, to ensure that UK plans are complementary to those of Luxembourg. In line with usual practice we shall also convene a meeting of the European Commission High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming, to be held in London in September. Attendance: Ministers with responsibility for gender equality, NGOs and social partners Contact: Sue Valentiny 0207 276 5694 [email protected] 12. Improving Life Chances of Disabled People –  8/9 November 2005, EXCEL Centre, London (M) This event will focus on four key areas: Strategies for change and the media, Promoting Independence, Engaging with Disabled People and Mainstreaming Disability in Policy.    The conference will comprise plenary and workshop sessions designed to showcase achievements and share best practice across the EU. Attendance: Disability officials and NGOs. Contact: Darren Evett 0207 712 2294 [email protected] 13. Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) Conference  –  9/10 November 2005, Lancaster House, London SLIC will take place over 3 days covering various aspects of occupational health and safety (details yet tbc by CION). The event will consist of a formal business meeting, a thematic day and a site visit. Attendance: Members of the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee Contact: Rob Olsen

0207 717 6491 [email protected] 14. Small Business in the social dialogue in an enlarged Europe –  17 November 2005, London As part of the UK’s enterprise week we plan for the event on Social Dialogue to be very focused and practical - essentially a meeting of experts - looking at ways in which the existing Social Dialogue processes might be further developed where, particularly in new Member States, industries comprising mainly small and medium sized firms may lack structured union and business representation at national level to enable their voice to be effectively represented at the European level. In taking this forward we would look to address some of the concerns flagged by new member states during the Modena Conference held under the Italian Presidency and in the Commission’s own recent Social Dialogue communication – that, particularly in new Member States and where sectors are predominantly comprise small firms the structures for social dialogue at national level are weak which means they are less able to contribute effectively to the European Social Dialogue process. Attendance: Officials and social partners Contact: Melissa Perry 0207 215 6645 [email protected] 15.  EURES Working Party –  17/18 November 2005, Apex International Hotel,  Edinburgh The EURES Working Party is a quarterly meeting of EURES Managers that takes place in the appropriate Presidency countries and in Brussels throughout the year.  It is a business meeting to consider current and future issues affecting the 28 Member States that comprise the EURES network (the EU 25 plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). Current issues that are likely to be carried forward to the UK meeting in Edinburgh are: development of EURES Web Services, progress reports from working groups on labour market information, review of training provision for EURES advisers, preparation for the International Year of Workers' Mobility Attendance: Officials, social partners Contact: Peter Sydserff 0114 259 6240 [email protected] 16. Economic Inactivity and Ill Health - Challenges and Solutions23/24 November 2005, Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff Present UK approach to welfare reform, in particular people with an illness,

health condition or injury, and to discuss the wider implications for EC. Presentations on - pathways to work, vocational rehab, occupational health, partnership working/ engaging with stakeholders Attendance: Officials, NGOs and social partners Contact: David Jackson 0114 209 8109 [email protected] 17. Heads of PES/Employment Service Conference –  30 November and 1/2 December, International Conference Centre (ICC), Birmingham The regular meeting of  Heads of the EU  Public Employment Service will be followed by 2 day conference focusing on delivery towards the Lisbon employment targets. Looking at; addressing individual needs services for employers delivered in a more tailored way PES - promoting diversity in the labour market through more personalised services for individual unemployed customers and for employers showcasing the Jobcentre Plus approach (delivering active LM policies) Attendance: Officials, employers, social partners Contact: Anton Eckersley 0207 273 6176 [email protected] 18. Corporate Social Responsibility Conference - 1/2 December 2005, London The aim for the conference is to focus on how financial institutions can help to drive an increase in CSR through their approach to assessing company performance and future prospects; and through their potential contribution towards meeting the Millennium Development goals ie through international investment and finance for development The conference would provide an opportunity to share and spread best practice across member states. We would also aim to examine the contribution of existing models aimed at the financial sector with a view to generating wider sign up among financial companies and other stakeholders to relevant initiatives in support our sustainable development goals. We would also look to draw relevant links with other events in the lead up to our conference, for example the G8 summit and consider the scope for other organisations to run related events on the back of our conference. Attendance: Officials, employers and social partners

Contact: Jane Leavens 0207 215 1686 [email protected]