Society, work, environment

The February issue of Europeinfos focuses on social questions with two contributions on the youth and social entrepreneurship (Anna Echterhoff ), a comment on the EU’s legislative proposals on Justice and Fundamental Rights (Alessandro Calcagno) a criticism and a ruling of the court on assisted reproductive technologies (José Ramos-Ascensão), an accurate analysis of the situation in Nigeria (Fr Joe Vella Gauci) and two contributions on environmental questions (Emilie Johanne and Magnus Andersson). The editorial is by Frank Turner SJ (Divisions in the EU). Social entrepreneurship. Social business is a good example of an approach to business that is both responsible and contributes to growth and jobs, according to European Commissioner M. Barnier. However, the Commission "has not yet been able to come up with a uniform definition of the term ‘social entrepreneurship’, making it hard for anyone to get to grips fully with the issue" remarks Anna Echterhoff. The Commission launched a package of measures to support entrepreneurship and responsible business such as "The ‘Social Business Initiative’, an altruistic business which aims to solve a given social problem. Any revenue generated is not withdrawn but is rather immediately reinvested. The Commission however does not provide a "normative definition" in such a diversified sector from the political, economic and social angle in EU27 Member States. The ‘Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship’ simply consists of "a short-term action plan to promote the founding and development of social businesses", whereby "The Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Social Entrepreneurship Funds", presented by the Commission on 7 December, 2011, is intended "to lay the foundations for an EU market for social investment funds designed to ease access to funding for social businesses. The Commission is also looking to improve "the legal environment" by simplifying the Regulation on the Statute for a European Cooperative Society or the proposal for a Regulation on the constitution of a European Foundation". Youth unemployment. At the end of December the Commission released "worrying" figures regarding youth unemployment in Europe, which "in some Member States is even higher than 40%, while those dropping out of school in the EU amount to over 14%. Women, people with migration in their personal background remain the groups that are most at risk". Unemployment also has a financial impact (at least €2 billion per week according to a study by Eurofound (2011). The Commission pointed out that in those Member States where the number of fixed-term contracts is higher – a prevailing figure among employed youth – it is correspondingly harder to obtain an open-ended contract. According to surveys carried out across Europe 73 million new jobs will be created between now and 2020. The Commission believes that "immediate measures are required. Young people need expectations of hope" and for this it launched its new ‘Youth Opportunities Initiative’, but Member States are requested to "prevent early school-leaving", "develop skills that are relevant to the labour market", "support a first work experience and on-the-job training" and "access to the labour market: getting a (first) job". The EU will appropriate up to €4 million for the introduction of the ‘Youth Guarantee System’ (to ensure that young people get either a job or a place on a vocational training/further training course), strengthen the Erasmus mobility programme, which also exists for young entrepreneurs and promote the European Voluntary Service for the young. Environment. The outcome of the decisions taken in the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference held past December "did not meet the level of expectations", wrote for Europe Infos Emilie Johann, Policy and Advocacy Officer on Climate Justice at CIDSE. The lack of "political ambition" put "climate justice and vulnerable communities" further at risk" increasing the chances that "the climate emergency will fail to be addressed". Not enough countries have signed the second stage of the Kyoto Protocol, which is below what science is calling for. "CIDSE and other NGOs had urged for more guarantees, in the form of a legal framework binding all Kyoto Protocol parties to ambitious emissions reductions for no more than 5 years, after which all countries worldwide would enter a global legally binding instrument". A global agreement will only help to avoid the worst impacts of climate change if it is implemented in a timely manner, meaning no later than 2018. The Green Climate Fund instituted in Durban is still insufficient to ensure a thorough response to the crisis. Etik & Energi. The Swedish association, Ethics & Energy, founded in 2004, working on sustainable energy solutions for congregations, church organizations and people of faith in the local communities, invites churches in Europe to participate in a new three-year project on sustainable energy transitions for European churches, dioceses and parishes. On the basis of an energy audit for each building, the association’s experts will perform an analysis and provide the parish with recommendations for improvement. All employees and volunteers within the parish receive a full day of education to learn more about energy issues. The parish thus is tasked with creating a energy-saving "plan of action". Magnus Andersson, from Etik & Energi, reported on the experience of a Swedish diocese for Europe Infos.