EUROMIL Position on the European Pillar of Social Rights
To make the voice of military personnel heard in the consultation process on the European Pillar of Social Rights, EUROMIL did not only answer the questionnaire but also put forward a position paper on the issue. The position paper highlights the importance of the right of association to be implemented …
2016, a remarkable year!
At the end of each year one should take the time to reflect on the past twelve months but also to look ahead at what is on the agenda for the next year. Let’s look at 2016 in a nutshell! The civil war in Syria turned into a proxy war …
Priorities of the Maltese EU Council Presidency
On 1 January 2017 Malta will take over the EU Council Presidency from Slovakia. The Presidency rotates every 6 months, and was held by Slovakia and the Netherlands in 2016. The three countries have closely worked together to establish the 18 months working programme. Within this common programme, the individual …
European Defence Action Plan
On 30 November 2016, the European Commission proposed the “European Defence Action Plan”. The document contains a plan to increase defence spending and defence cooperation amongst European member states and proposes the creation of a European Defence Fund. The fund is to be managed by a coordination board composed of …
Berlin Security Conference 2016
On 29 and 30 November 2016, the Berlin Security Conference and 15th Congress on European Security and Defence were organised by the Behörden Spiegel – Germany’s leading independent newspaper for civil and military services. More than 1000 participants from the military, politics and industry came together to discuss the topic …
Comparative Study on Social Dialogue in the EU
The European Commission recently published a comparative study entitled “The role of social partners in the design and implementation of policies and reforms”. The study was conducted by the European Employment Policy Observatory (EEPO), a European network, which produces regular and independent research on a range of topics relating to …
European Parliament Supports Military Personnel in a Resolution on the European Defence Union
On 22 November 2016, Members of the European Parliament voted on a motion for a European Parliament Resolution on the European Defence Union, tabled by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Confronted to a new financial and security context, European armed forces are required to collaborate closer and military personnel to …
NATO Parliamentary Assembly: “Deterring To Defend: NATO After The Warsaw Summit”
From 18 to 21 November 2016 the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) gathered for its 62nd annual session in Istanbul, Turkey. The outgoing NATO PA President Hon. Michael R.Turner, expressed his support for Turkey in its battle against terrorism and struggles to host some three million Syrian refugees while recovering …
Labour Rights Are Human Rights
On 20 October 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, presented his last report to the United Nations General Assembly. In his report, the rapporteur emphasizes the deteriorating labour relations across the world but insists that labour rights are human …
Internal Security Tasks for Military Forces: Has Europe a Role to Play?
On 8 November 2016, the Kangaroo Group organised a lunch debate on the topic of “Internal Security Tasks for Military Forces: Has Europe a Role to Play?”. The President of the Kangaroo Group, MEP Michael Gahler, opened the meeting by pointing out that the lines between internal and external security …