The goal of this forum is to evaluate vocational training needs in the countries of the Mediterranean basin.

Xavier Bertrand, the French Minister for Labour, Labour Relations, the Family and Solidarity, presided over today’s meeting of the Council of ministers for labour and social affairs, in the presence of Vladimir Špidla, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
 

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) will bring together the 27 European health ministers in Brussels on 16 December and those responsible for labour and social affairs on 17 December.

The EPSCO Council met on 16 December, in its health configuration, under the presidency of Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, the French Minister for Health and Sports.

The French Health Product Safety Agency, AFSSAPS, is organising a conference on 12 December 2008 on the issues posed by the changing European pharmaceutical environment.

This seminar will bring together representatives of central administrations and local authorities from Member States of the European Union to discuss local finances.

The aim of the conference is to contribute towards identification and expert understanding of new ways of treating addiction, and to encourage the development of cooperation in research in Europe.

The conference aims to introduce and debate the role of European public employment services in promoting flexicurity.

This seminar will contribute to implementing the resolution on the health of young people which will be presented at the November Council.

The public interest group for health and social protection in the international arena GIP SPSI is organising its third international conference on the subject of health and social protection.

Youth associations will discuss the socio-professional integration of young people in Europe.

The proposal for a directive on consumer rights, the action of enforcement bodies and class action proceedings will be the central themes of the conference debates.

There will be a 'Social inclusion - European experiences' day in Paris on 5 December in Paris, under the auspices of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The French National Medical Council is organising a round table on medical interoperability in the European Union, in view of the different health information systems used in EU countries. Two other complementary areas are also on the agenda: the functions of exchanges between health information systems of Member States and the sharing of medical data at European level.

The conference on European mobility for young people undergoing initial work-linked vocational training starts on 27 November in Paris.

The ministers in charge of electronic communications in the twenty-seven Member States are due to meet on 27 November in Brussels.

Leading EU feminists and politicians will exchange views at the conference on the 'Most favoured European woman clause', which aims to identify the most progressive laws in Europe based on a comparative study of the different legislation of the 27 Member States.

This meeting of representatives (from the health and foreign affairs ministries) of the countries belonging to the European ESTHER Alliance should put the spotlight on international cooperation on HIV/AIDS.

The urban development ministers met today in Marseilles to discuss the "sustainable and inclusive city" and adopted a final communiqué.

This conference on the consequences of chemical pollution on the development of the child will take place on 25 November in Paris.

The informal meeting of ministers for housing, urban development, regional development and cohesion policy will take place from 24 to 26 November in Marseilles.

The housing policy ministers met in Marseilles on 24 November to discuss access to housing for persons in difficulty and adopted a final communiqué.

This European conference will review the current situation of senior employment within the European Union.

The potential of social experimentation to be an innovative and powerful policy instrument for combatting poverty, with a view to strengthening development within the EU, will be the subject of discussion at the Forum on Social Experimentation in Europe organised by Martin Hirsch, the High Commissioner for Active Inclusion against Poverty, which will be held in Grenoble on 21 and 22 November.

AIDS experts from all over Europe will meet in Paris on 21 November for the 'HIV 2008: Diagnosis' European summit, to make progress in the fight against HIV.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) will organise the "Conference to launch the future European network for Health Technology Assessment" at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

The meeting of 20 and 21 November aims to deepen refleciton around the social and ethical issues linked to a possible influenza pandemic.

The purpose of the event is to stimulate exchange between European competition authorities, economic jurisdictions, businesses, associations, practitioners and academics.

The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is organising a conference on the strategies and action plans for rare diseases implemented in the various EU Member States.