Update on activities

1. EPSU / CEMR local and regional government social dialogue committee

Follow-up to plenary meeting 29 November

The plenary meeting took place on 29 November, and we send you the minutes for your information (available in English, French and German - see the Minutes section in the Social Dialogue section->art2632]).

The meeting adopted a joint statement on social dialogue in the sector and the text is available in all EPSU languages plus Italian on www.epsu.org/a/2558. The statement is primarily addressed to the national level and we ask you to make use of it in your contacts with CEMR members. For example, our Italian colleagues reported that they met with CEMR's affiliate to approve an Italian version of the statement and issue a common press release.

We have compiled an update of CEMR participation in the social dialogue meetings to support you in bilateral contacts with CEMR members. Please send us information on your contacts with CEMR members! We remind you that we plan to carry out our survey on national social dialogue activities. A questionnaire on this will be sent to you shortly.

The plenary meeting also agreed in principle to examine the possibility of a joint statement on the Green Paper on labour law (which is available in different EU languages on: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/labour_law/green_paper_en.htm.

The EPSU / CEMR steering group will discuss this further at their meeting on 6 February.
The Green Paper is very broad in scope and includes the topic of flexicurity (which goes beyond labour law, notable in including social protection).

The ETUC social policy committee will discuss the Green Paper on 17 January and we will inform you of the outcome of the meeting and suggestions of how we should deal with the Paper.

Other social dialogue activities first semester 2007

In light of the activities foreseen in the 2006-2007 work programme of the Committee for its second year, the following meeting dates and topics were provisionally set for the first semester:

- Working group meeting of 27 April 2007 on gender equality and other equality objectives in local and regional government;

- Plenary meeting on 30 May 2007 on the joint CEMR-EPSU project on evaluating the experience in different forms of service provision (planned to be submitted to the Commission in March 2007).

Further information will be sent you on these meetings.

2. EPSU local and regional government standing committee

Next meeting

Our next meeting takes place on 1 and 2 March 2007, in Luxembourg. The first day will be organised as a workshop on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

The agenda and details for the meetings will follow at the end of January.

EPSU firefighters' network

We have updated the firefighters' working time survey and send it to you for your information (available in English, French and German - see LRG section).

We are currently putting together a revised firefighters' Charter and a draft version will be sent to members of the network shortly. The Charter will be discussed at the next meeting of the network, planned for 14 May, in Luxembourg.

- Minutes plenary 29 November (including EC presentation of Green Paper) (document being translated into French and German)

- CEMR participation table (document English only)

• CEMR participation table

- Firefighters' working time survey (document being translated into French and German)