Translation of "Association Suisse de Politique Sociale " (French → English) :

Urs Kapalle, Director Financial Policy and Taxes, Swiss Bankers Association

14. Recalls that while designing and implementing structural reforms, adequate social protection should be maintained – while at the same time respecting Member States’ competences, social and labour standards and workers’ rights, the quality of employment, and better and sustainable jobs – as a means of ensuring social cohesion, competitiveness and resistance to economic and financial crises; encourages the Member States to share best practices and promote mutual learning and solidarity, including at regional and local level; with a view to improving the effectiveness and focus of fiscal policies ...[+++], calls on the Member States to reform their labour markets and social security systems, as well as their educational systems; believes that labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, should ensure job quality, especially better and sustainable jobs, and security in employment transitions, and should provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on realistic activation requirements that ensure adequate support for redundant workers and are linked to reintegration policies in accordance with Member States’ customs and traditions; points out that efficient and increased integration of EU labour markets remains a medium-term objective for promoting social progress and reducing poverty in a balanced and competitive environment;

The Programme should, therefore, contribute to promoting the creation of quality and sustainable 'green', 'white' and ICT jobs, as well as to anticipating and developing new skills and competencies for new quality and sustainable jobs, by linking employment and social policies with industrial and structural policies and by supporting a transition towards a resource-efficient and low carbon economy.

(9) The "Our Europe" Association takes the form of a think tank of personalities representative of European society and the political, social, economic and scientific worlds to act as a marketplace for ideas promoting a closer European Union; as such, it pursues an aim of general European interest.

This undertaking would seem to be fulfilled in two settings: the Consultative Committee for Cooperatives, Mutuals, Associations and Foundations and the European Forum on social policy.

contribute to a comprehensive and integrated approach to fighting social exclusion, including all relevant policies and players.