EUROCITIES Social Affairs Forum - ‘Cities for a more social Europe: delivering on a European pillar of social rights’

Gothenburg, 25-26 October 2017

Draft agenda

Languages: EN
Registrations mandatory
Monday, 23 October
Working group meetings by separate registrations
14.00 – 17.30 / Working group Employment
09.30 – 17.30 / Working group Homelessness
14.00 – 17.30 / Working group Urban Ageing
Tuesday, 24 October
Working group meetings by separate registrations
09.30 – 15.00 / Working group Employment continued
09.30 – 13.00 / Working group Homelessness continued
09.30 – 16.30 / Working group Urban Ageing continued
16.30 – 18.00 / Steering Committee meeting
Venue: Rådhuset, Gustav Adolfs Torg, Gothenburg
18:00 – 19:00 / Session for newcomers
Venue: Rådhuset, Gustav Adolfs Torg, Gothenburg
This session is for new members that recently joined SAF and city representatives at their first SAF meeting. It aims to provide an overview of SAF activities and priorities, and clarify questions about the SAF meeting.
20.00 / Informal dinner
Open to EUROCITIES members
and guests invited by the city of Gothenburg
Wednesday, 25 October
Venue: Eriksberg, Maskingatan 11, S-41764 Gothenburg, Sweden
9.00 – 9.30 / Registration and welcome coffee
9.30 – 10.00 / Official welcome
§  Ann-Sofie Hermansson, mayor of Gothenburg
Keynote speech
§  Mikael Stigendal, professor at Malmö University
10.00 – 11.00 / High-level panel debate: “Which role should cities take to promote a more social Europe and ensure equal access to social rights?”
Moderator: Tamsin Rose (TBC)
§  Marina Johansson, deputy mayor of Gothenburg
§  Laia Ortiz, chair of SAF and deputy mayor of Barcelona
§  Soraya Post, member of the European Parliament
§  Jana Hainsworth, secretary general of Eurochild and president of the Social Platform
§  Jennifer Hankins, project leader of Hikikomori - an ESF-funded project at city level in Gothenburg
Audience reaction and discussion
11.00 - 11.30 / Coffee break / family picture
11.30 – 13.00 / Workshops
Venue: Eriksberg, Maskingatan 11, S-41764 Gothenburg, Sweden
Workshops will offer participants an opportunity to discuss and exchange practices on themes related to the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The format will be interactive and participants are invited to present their own experiences and share know-how and practical examples. A brief introduction to the topic by means of an inspiring presentation of a city example will initiate the workshop discussions. Participants will then discuss and exchange views on the basis of some guiding questions. The key messages from each workshop will then be presented in the plenary.
Workshop 1 / Equal access to quality and inclusive education (principle 1)
Chair: city of Gothenburg (tbc)
Presenter: Jämlikt Göteborg
Facilitator: Gabriel Jacqmin, EUROCITIES
Principle 1 of the European Pillar of Social Rights states: ”Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market”.
Workshop 2 / Equal treatment on the labour market (active support to employment, fair working conditions)
Chair: Nantes and Malmo (tbc)
Presenter: Mats Rydberger, manager of the Malmö office of the Public Employment Service (TBC)
Facilitator: Giorgio Zecca, EUROCITIES
Principle 4 introduces the ”the right to timely and tailor-made assistance to improve employment or self-employment prospects. This includes the right to receive support for job search, training and re-qualification. Everyone has the right to transfer social protection and training entitlements during transitions”. Principle 5 refers to workers’ right to ”fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, access to social protection and training. The transition towards open-ended forms of employment shall be fostered [...] Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions shall be prevented, including by prohibiting abuse of atypical contracts.”
Workshop 3 / Equal access to work-life balance provisions
Chair: city of Vienna (tbc); Facilitator: Silvia Ganzerla, EUROCITIES
Presenter: DG EMPL representative presenting the EC directive proposal (tbc)
& COFACE representative (tbc)
The European Commission proposed a directive to improve work-life balance across the EU. The principle supporting this proposal is that “parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities and be encouraged to use them in a balanced way.”
Workshop 4 / Access to housing assistance
Chair: Laia Ortiz, chair of SAF and deputy mayor of Barcelona (tbc)
Presenter: Freek Spinnewijn, Director of FEANTSA
Facilitator: Agata Krause, EUROCITIES
Principle 19 of the European Pillar of Social Rights acknowledges that ”access to social housing or housing assistance of good quality shall be provided for those in need. Vulnerable people have the right to appropriate assistance and protection against forced eviction. Adequate shelter and services shall be provided to the homeless in order to promote their social inclusion.”
Workshop 5 / Equal access for vulnerable groups to essential services
Chair: MEP Soraya Post (tbc)
Facilitator: Bianca Faragau, EUROCITIES
Equal opportunities of under-represented groups is a well-defined principle in the European Pillar of Social Rights. This is complemented by principle 20 stating that ”everyone has the right to access essential services of good quality, including water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial services and digital communications. Support to access such services shall be made available”.
13.00 – 14.00 / Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 / Workshops reporting to the plenary
15:00 – 17:00 / Site visits
Site visits will offer participants an opportunity to experience projects in the city of Gothenburg related to equal access to social rights. The site visits take place outside the venue.
Site visit 1
Site visit 2
Site visit 3
Site visit 4
Site visit 5

Part open to EUROCITIES members only

17.00 – 18.30 / Special programme for elected city politicians – by invitation only
Political session for politicians to work on finalising the text of a declaration of commitment from cities to deliver on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The purpose is to adopt this declaration on the second day of the meeting and to send this message to the EU and member states ahead of the EU Social Summit on 17 November.
20.00 / Official dinner hosted by the city of Gothenburg
Venue: TBC
Thursday, 26 October
Venue: Eriksberg, Maskingatan 11, S-41764 Gothenburg, Sweden
9.00 – 10:30 / Speed-networking session and projects corner
Format: three rounds of 25 minutes
10.30 – 11.00 / Coffee break
11:00 – 11:30 / Keynote: presentation of the Declaration by city politicians
§  Laia Ortiz, chair of SAF and deputy mayor of Barcelona
As part of her address, Laia invites deputy mayors to sign the Declaration in presence of audience and press
11:30 – 13:00 / High-level panel debate: “How can the EU support cities’ commitment?”
Moderator: Tamsin Rose (TBC)
§  Georg Fischer, Director for Social Affairs, DG Employment and Social Affairs and Inclusion (TBC)
§  Maria João Rodrigues, member of the European Parliament (TBC)
§  Ylva Johansson, minister of employment of Sweden (TBC)
§  Kaia Iva, minister of social protection of Estonia & representative of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU (TBC)
§  Andreas Schönström, vice-chair of SAF and deputy mayor of Malmo
§  Maria Stratigaki, deputy mayor of Athens
13:00 – 14:00 / Lunch / press conference
14.00 – 15.30 / Business meeting
§  Update on key EU policy developments related to social affairs
§  Update on EU funding opportunities (Horizon 2020 calls)
§  Thematic updates in clusters
§  Announcement of the host city for next SAF meeting in 2018
15.30 – 16.30 / Steering Committee meeting

This event has received financial support from the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation "EaSI" (2014-2020). For further information, please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi

Draft agenda, EUROCITIES Social Affairs Forum, Gothenburg, 25-26 October 2017, Page 5