European year of workers´ mobility
Raising the profile of mobility: the 2006 European Year
The EU has already taken major steps towards achieving a more mobile labour market. In fact, the free movement of workers is a core principle of the internal market. But more effort is required to make mobility a reality for more EU citizens.
The European Year of Workers´ Mobility provides the chance to raise public awareness and promote debate on the opportunities and challenges of workers´ mobility. The objectives of the year are to:
- inform citizens about workers´ rights to free movement, as well as the opportunities, costs and support measures that exist;
- develop the exchange of good practices on mobility;
- find out more - through studies and surveys - about mobility flows in Europe, the obstacles to mobility and the motives for mobility.
The 2006 European Year will coincide with a number of important milestones for EU policy on worker mobility.
The transitional rules set up to manage the free movement of workers from, to and between the new Member States after EU enlargement in 2004 are up for review; the results of the EU Action Plan on skills and mobility (2002-2005) will be assessed and followed up, and a new European portal on workers´ mobility has been launched, providing all citizens with direct access to all job vacancies published by the Public Employment Services.
Key activities & events
Three types of activities are organised under the umbrella of the European Year.
- EU level events and activities
Several key events has and will take place throughout the year including:
- 20-21 February 2006 - Launch conference, Brussels, Belgium "Workers´ mobility: a right, an option, an opportunity?";
- September 2006 - Social partners conference, Brussels, Belgium;
- 29-30 September 2006 - the first Europe-wide job fair organised simultaneously in several dozen EU cities;
- December 2006 - closing event under the FinnishPresidency of the EU.
Commission-funded surveys and studies will help increase people´s understanding of geographical and job mobility. Among the information and promotional actions, a book and CD-Rom on "30 mobile workers" will be published and a Mobility Award organised.
- Community-financed events and activities
Activities such as information days, pilot projects, workshops, job fairs, competitions, media-related events etc. will be co-financed by the EU through several calls for proposals. They may take place at local, regional, national or transnational level.
- Other events and activities
Initiatives undertaken by any public or private organisation can gain added publicity by linking into the European Year.
For general information about the European Year, see the European Year 2006 Website:
http://europa.eu.int/workersmobility2006