Press Advisories
2. 3. 2009 7:54
Commissioner Špidla answered your questions in the European chat
Lost jobs, a ban on smoking or the reactions of Brussels to the Czech Presidency. These are only some of the questions you asked the Commissioner responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
Marianne Slegers, Europolitics, 2. 3. 2009, 10:06 What is your message/ advice for the people in the EU who have lost their job/ are about to loose their job because of the crisis? What would be the best thing for them to do? Merci pour votre response, Marianne responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 13:58 The loss of a job is a highly individual thing and so it is difficult to give advice. But the only thing that is certain is that it is good to be active from the first moment. Not to stay at home, use every opportunity for re-skilling if necessary, consider jobs that would otherwise be quite unusual or would not be considered. Fortunately, the vast majority of people who have lost their job will find a new one after some time. But I know it is never easy. To look for a new job is a hard full-time job. Reader, 2. 3. 2009, 11:21 Hallo, Mr Špidla, will you try to push a tough law against smoking in all EU countries through the EP? Most of the countries already have one, but we still don’t. It would definitely help us fight corruption and bring down the number of cases of lung cancer and limit addiction among children and people in general. Thank you. responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 14:04 I have started a consultation of the social partners on protection against the consequences of smoking in the workplace, which is the first step in a debate about EU legislation. I would, however, like to underline that the European Commission has no possibility of proposing a law that would ban smoking in public completely, but it is competent in the area of safety and protection of health at work. Therefore, there is a law against smoking in restaurants. How things evolve depends on the outcome of a very long and probably also very heated political debate. David Janáček, 2. 3. 2009, 12:54 Dear Commissioner, I would be interested to hear the opinions on and reactions to the Czech Presidency in the Commission in Brussels so far. Could you please evaluate the reactions to the organisational aspects of the Presidency and even more to its substance. Thank you very much. I wish you all the best. responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 14:35 The Commission isn’t Brussels, because there are many other institutions in Brussels – for instance the European Council, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. So I can say that we have not discussed the Czech Presidency in the Commission and we won’t do so until it is over. In the European Parliament opinions differ. There is no single EP position and you can hear all different kinds of opinions. However, I think that it is best to wait a couple of months. It is a fact that the economic and general global situation is very difficult at the moment and the EU works well under the Czech Presidency.
Marianne Slegers, Europolitics, 2. 3. 2009, 10:06 What is your message/ advice for the people in the EU who have lost their job/ are about to loose their job because of the crisis? What would be the best thing for them to do? Merci pour votre response, Marianne responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 13:58 The loss of a job is a highly individual thing and so it is difficult to give advice. But the only thing that is certain is that it is good to be active from the first moment. Not to stay at home, use every opportunity for re-skilling if necessary, consider jobs that would otherwise be quite unusual or would not be considered. Fortunately, the vast majority of people who have lost their job will find a new one after some time. But I know it is never easy. To look for a new job is a hard full-time job. Reader, 2. 3. 2009, 11:21 Hallo, Mr Špidla, will you try to push a tough law against smoking in all EU countries through the EP? Most of the countries already have one, but we still don’t. It would definitely help us fight corruption and bring down the number of cases of lung cancer and limit addiction among children and people in general. Thank you. responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 14:04 I have started a consultation of the social partners on protection against the consequences of smoking in the workplace, which is the first step in a debate about EU legislation. I would, however, like to underline that the European Commission has no possibility of proposing a law that would ban smoking in public completely, but it is competent in the area of safety and protection of health at work. Therefore, there is a law against smoking in restaurants. How things evolve depends on the outcome of a very long and probably also very heated political debate. David Janáček, 2. 3. 2009, 12:54 Dear Commissioner, I would be interested to hear the opinions on and reactions to the Czech Presidency in the Commission in Brussels so far. Could you please evaluate the reactions to the organisational aspects of the Presidency and even more to its substance. Thank you very much. I wish you all the best. responded to, 2. 3. 2009, 14:35 The Commission isn’t Brussels, because there are many other institutions in Brussels – for instance the European Council, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. So I can say that we have not discussed the Czech Presidency in the Commission and we won’t do so until it is over. In the European Parliament opinions differ. There is no single EP position and you can hear all different kinds of opinions. However, I think that it is best to wait a couple of months. It is a fact that the economic and general global situation is very difficult at the moment and the EU works well under the Czech Presidency.
