This report was financed by and prepared for the use of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. The MEDIS project was coordinated by Patrick Simon from the Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques and Martin Clément from Economie et...

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the provisions of the draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR), in order to assess if the DCFR perceives contract law only as a tool for regulating private law relations between equally strong parties or if it contains elements of 'social justice' in...

Many people in Europe do not receive the social benefits to which they are entitled. This is the case across countries and for many types of benefits. Addressing this ‘non-take-up’ of benefits is critical for two key reasons: benefits do not fulfil their objective if they do not reach the...

This Regional Strategy Paper (RSP), the second for Mercosur, provides a strategic framework for EC cooperation with Mercosur for the period 2007-2013. The RSP has been prepared following a consultation process involving Mercosur member states and civil society actors. EC-Mercosur relations are...

The challenges arising from low employment rates, an ageing population, changing family structures and social exclusion have pushed ‘quality of life’ issues to the front of the EU social policy agenda. The Foundation has launched an initiative to improve the monitoring and reporting of living...

This analytical report addresses the interesting theme of participation in civil society, exploring the diverse range of activities that constitute active participation. A central part of the analysis involves identifying factors that influence participation, or in other words understanding why...

This report examines quality of life from the unique perspective of the two acceding countries, Bulgaria and Romania. The historical, political, socioeconomic and cultural contexts of these two countries have meant that their experiences are often quite different to those of the EU Member...

This report highlights the connections between the different dimensions of quality of life and analyzes the inherent causal relationships. These range from clear linkages such as the health benefits of green open space for urban populations to less evident relationships such as the way that...

On 12 June and 9 September 2008 the EESC Labour Market Observatory organised two hearings on "Sustainable Productivity Growth and Quality of Working Life".