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HR e-briefing 398 - The Working Time Directive - European Parliament vote on opt-out and on-call time

The 1993 Working Time Directive lays down, amongst other things, basic principles concerning maximum weekly working hours. For some time now, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament have been debating whether the directive should be revise...




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HR e-briefing no 425 - sickness and holidays - new European ruling could cause problems for employers

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that workers who go on sick leave during a period that has been scheduled as annual leave for the purposes of the Working Time Directive should be allowed to reschedule their holidays, even if that means...




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Eversheds' HR e-briefing 478 - European case set to boost paternity rights

A new ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) suggests fathers who take advantage of new rights to extended paternity leave from April next year could be entitled to the same rights and benefits from their employer as women who...




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Intellectual property ownership – a timely reminder

In the UK, the first owner of a copyright work is the author, unless the work is created by an employee in the course of their employment. In that case, the copyright will belong to the employer unless the parties have agreed otherwise (eg between u...




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Adword advertising: first step towards European Court of Justice decision

The Advocate-General (AG) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued his opinion in response to several claims in France against internet giant Google, relating to the operation of its search-related advertising service Adwords. Google's Adw...




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European Commission consults on future Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation

The block exemption provides a safe harbour from the prohibition on anti-competitive agreements contained in Article 81(1) EC. It can apply to any agreement between parties at different levels of the supply chain where that agreement contains rest...




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Pandemic shows contrasts between US, European safety nets

and underlining sharp differences in approach between wealthy societies such as the United States and Europe.




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A Comparative Approach of the Tax and Social Burden in European Football

Globalisation affects and impacts the football industry as a whole, just like any other economic sector. The professional football clubs across Europe have to factor in and deal with various issues to attract the best players to compete in the Europ...




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Coronavirus latest: European countries prepare reopening as infections pass 4 million worldwide

France and Spain, two of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, were preparing on Sunday for an easing of lockdown rules as the global number of infections passed 4 million.In the US, the country with the world’s highest death toll, President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama who said on a leaked tape that Trump’s handling of the crisis was an “absolute chaotic disaster”.The virus has claimed more than 78,000 lives in the United States, which…




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As thousands enter Europe, EU flails in anti-smuggling efforts

Why did Frontex, the EU border agency, abruptly cancel a successful anti-smuggling pilot program in Greece?




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3 held as £100k stolen property recovered in Scotland

EDINBURGH: Three people have been arrested and charged as more than £100,000 in stolen property was recovered.The items, including barbecues, bikes, lawn mowers and Christmas trees, were taken from Leslie’s Bike Store in Glenrothes, Fife, and two garden centres, one in Dunfermline,...




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Soros: Angela Merkel was the creator of the European crisis

George Soros explains to Reuters' Chrystia Freeland how German Chancellor Angela Merkel's actions in 2008 could lead to the disintegration of the European Union. Consequently, a disorderly default of European sovereignties may lead to a global financial meltdown worse than 2008. He explains his analysis here.




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REFILE-Europe's media differ over publishing Charlie Hebdo cartoons

(Clarifies in paragraph 18 that some UK newspapers carried images of Charlie Hebdo front pages)





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Covid-19: isolated and alone, Britain has become the sick man of Europe

The disasters of Trump, Brexit and coronavirus have been made all the worse by our weak and incompetent leaders


Britain is in a lonely place right now. It resembles the scene of a bad traffic accident where shocked passers-by look away with pity and horror in their eyes. Alarmed by what they see, governments around the world practise their own form of social distancing. Once again, Britain is the sick man of Europe.

Lethal mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic is not the sole reason for this un-splendid isolation. The disease’s sudden onslaught is the third national disaster in almost as many years. The first was the decision to walk away from Europe. The second was the advent of Donald Trump and his anarchic America First agenda.

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Euro 96 shirts ranked: Will hosts England come out on top as we rate Europe's kits

Football is, it turns out, coming home after all this summer as ITV plan to show Euro 1996 in its entirety.




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Footy’s almost here, a major European league and UFC even closer: When all sports are back

The NRL is charging towards its May 28 return, and some other key overseas competitions will be back even sooner as live sport starts to emerge out of the coronavirus crisis.




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Thai and European innovators help medical workers fight virus




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The 'United States of Europe' speech that Winston Churchill so nearly made

A recently discovered document sheds new light on the wartime leader’s ‘iron curtain’ address

It was a speech that electrified the world, one that coined a phrase that was to characterise the political era that followed the second world war. But its content could have been very different, reveals a document freshly unearthed by a historian researching the life of Winston Churchill.

On 5 March 1946 in Fulton, Missouri, before a huge crowd which included the US president, Harry Truman, Britain’s wartime leader issued a famous description of the political division that was opening across Europe between the Soviet-dominated Communist east and the western democracies. “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic,” Churchill declared, “an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

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The Observer view on the government's lack of a proper lockdown plan | Observer editorial

Ministers’ shambolic briefings expose a terrifying lack of competence


• Coronavirus latest updates

• See all our coronavirus coverage


‘In spite of the sunny bank holiday, it is vitally important that we continue to abide by the current restrictions: stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.” That was the message delivered by the environment secretary, George Eustice, at Friday afternoon’s press conference. Yet just the day before, most newspapers were emblazoned with excited headlines foretelling a significant relaxation of social distancing restrictions, based on briefing from government sources: “Lockdown freedom beckons”, “First steps to freedom from Monday” and “Stay home advice to be scrapped”.

Despite the critical importance of clear public messaging to any public health strategy, the government’s communications have been marred by mixed messages throughout this deadly pandemic. Its core message, asking the public to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, has been very effective, but this has consistently been undermined by ministers and advisers inaccurately briefing the press that there is about to be a shift in policy. Before the Easter weekend, reports appeared that ministers thought that the public had been too obedient in following the lockdown, and that a relaxation was imminent. The same happened before this bank holiday weekend, forcing the government to clarify that there was no change in restrictions and that people must continue to abide by the law.

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Indian Tourist Suspected of Spreading Chikungunya in Europe

An unnamed chikungunya-infected tourist from south India is responsible for the spread of the tropical disease in a small north Italian town, according




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Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe: Policy briefs

A series of short reports aimed at policy makers examine issues and policies instruments related to inclusive entrepreneurs policy. The key message of these briefs is that there is under-exploited potential among entrepreneurs from non-mainstream groups and that there are many examples of specially tailored policies that are successful in increasing participation that can serve as models for others.




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International investment in Europe: A canary in the coal mine?

Global FDI flows collapsed with the global financial crisis in 2008 and remain 40% below pre-crisis levels. A major reason for this is the EU. While FDI flows in the rest of the world recovered by 2010, the EU continues to struggle due to structural factors that are undermining the quality of the EU’s investment environment. The paper analyses why and puts forward policy options. It is part of the Investment Insights series.




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The Missing Entrepreneurs 2014: Policies for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe

In addition to inspiring policy practices, the 2014 edition contains special thematic chapters on entrepreneurship by ethnic minorities, pro-entrepreneurship welfare support systems and support for entrepreneurship from unemployment.




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Interview with Georges Lemaître, OECD international migration expert, on recent migration trends in the European Union.

Interview with Georges Lemaître, OECD international migration expert, on recent migration trends in the European Union.




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How will the refugee surge affect the European economy?

This edition of Migration Policy Debates provides an assessment of the possible economic impact of the refugee crisis. It stresses that while there will obviously be short-term costs arising from such large flows, there will also be sizeable economic and public-finance benefits provided refugees are integrated into the labour market.




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Europe will win from integration

The unfolding refugee crisis requires a bold, comprehensive and global response. At the same time, OECD countries should adapt their policies to foster the integration of those who are going to stay. While this implies significant up-front costs, it is also essential to reaping sizeable medium- to long-term social and economic benefits.




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Europe is underachieving in the global competition for talent

The European Union should reform its legal labour migration policies to get its fair share of the global talent pool, according to a new report published by the OECD.




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How does having immigrant parents affect the outcomes of children in Europe?

This edition of Migration Policy Debates assesses the intergenerational transmission of the disadvantages encountered by migrants, in absolute and relative terms, and the conditions under which the native-born children of immigrants may be resilient in the face of the challenges of their parents’ generation. It summarises a recent OECD report (OECD, 2017) on this issue, funded by the European Commission.




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Cross-Border Trade in Electricity and the Development of Renewables-Based Electric Power: Lessons from Europe

To benefit fully from cross-border trade in electricity, interconnected countries need to establish a non-discriminatory trading regime based on co-operation and co-ordination, says this study of trade in renewables-based electric power in Europe.




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Global economy is improving but Europe lags behind, says OECD

Global economic activity is picking up, but the continuing crisis in the euro area is delaying a meaningful recovery, the OECD said in its latest Interim Economic Assessment.




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Health at a Glance: Europe 2014 - Key findings for Germany

Progress has been made to reduce smoking rates and alcohol consumption in Germany, but obesity is on the rise as in most other EU countries. As in other EU countries, spending for prevention in Germany accounts only for around 3% of current health spending.




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Jobs for Europe: The Employment Policy Conference

OECD Secretary-General assesses the employment challenges facing Europe and the policy responses urgently needed to put the continent back on a path of jobs-rich growth, at the Employment Policy Conference in Brussels.




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Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe: Policy briefs

A series of short reports aimed at policy makers examine issues and policies instruments related to inclusive entrepreneurs policy. The key message of these briefs is that there is under-exploited potential among entrepreneurs from non-mainstream groups and that there are many examples of specially tailored policies that are successful in increasing participation that can serve as models for others.




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The importance of high-skill jobs for European regions

High-skilled jobs as an important driver of overall employment growth in the EU and the impact of high-skill job creation goes beyond the highly educated workforce. If European regions are very unequal in terms of high-skill intensity, they are converging slowly.




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Europe is underachieving in the global competition for talent

The European Union should reform its legal labour migration policies to get its fair share of the global talent pool, according to a new report published by the OECD.




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Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe - An OECD-European Commission Project

A three-year programme of co-operation between the European Commission and LEED on self-employment and entrepreneurship in Europe.




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Anti-corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia meetings: October 2014

8-10 October 2014, Paris, France: Discussions at this meeting will focus on implementing the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan; monitoring reports for Armenia and Kazakhstan; and, progress reports from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.




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Anti-corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: March 2015 meetings

This meeting will focus on the third round monitoring reports under the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan for Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. The meeting will also include progress reports from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.




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Prevention of Corruption in the Public Sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This cross-country report on prevention of public sector corruption analyses the preventive measures that have proven to be effective and successful in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The review focuses on twenty-one countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and includes examples from OECD countries.




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Liability of Legal Persons for Corruption in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This cross-country report analyses the legislation on liability of legal persons for corruption and its enforcement in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, highlighting national practices that may be promoted as good practice. While it focuses on 25 countries participating in the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), examples from OECD countries are also included.




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Boosting the impact of anti-corruption reforms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

21 April 2016, Paris: The OECD will host a High-Level Meeting on boosting the impact of anti-corruption reforms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.




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Business Integrity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This study explores what governments, business associations, NGOs, and companies do in order to strengthen business integrity with a particular focus on anti-corruption measures in and for the private sector in countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as in selected other countries.




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Anti-corruption Reforms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have introduced important anti-corruption reforms in recent years. However, corruption in the region remains high. This report identifies progress achieved as well as challenges which require further action by countries.




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OECD and European Commission launch project to support Greece’s Anti-Corruption Action Plan

The OECD and the Greek Government, with the support of the European Commission, today launched a collaboration project to strengthen Greece’s action plan to fight corruption.




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Anti-corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: September 2017 meetings

This meeting of the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN) will take place at the OECD on 12-14 September 2017.




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Education at a Glance 2012: Country Notes - European Union

The relative earnings premium for those with a tertiary education increased in most EU21 countries over the past ten years, indicating that the demand for more educated individuals still exceeds supply.




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Long-term wellbeing of European societies is at stake (OECD Education&Skills Today Blog)

Children and young people are among the biggest losers in the European economic and debt crisis.




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Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe: Policy briefs

A series of short reports aimed at policy makers examine issues and policies instruments related to inclusive entrepreneurs policy. The key message of these briefs is that there is under-exploited potential among entrepreneurs from non-mainstream groups and that there are many examples of specially tailored policies that are successful in increasing participation that can serve as models for others.




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Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe - An OECD-European Commission Project

A three-year programme of co-operation between the European Commission and LEED on self-employment and entrepreneurship in Europe.