Workability Europe Annual Conference Amsterdam, The Netherlands 911 May 2006

1

Information Training Seminar
Martin Ohridski Public Affairs Officer
Workability Europe

14 March 2008, Warsaw, Poland
2
Structure of the presentation

• Morning session
• The new State Aid Block Exemption Regulation-
  information about latest state of affairs -
  members concerns and questions - development of
  WE position paper - next steps
• Afternoon session
• Using effectively EU's online resources -
  principles of navigation through the Europa
  website- relevant sections for the disability
  sector - access to information on funding
  opportunities, legislation, news and resources -
  practical exercises and reporting - further
  useful online sources of information
• Q A

part I
part II
3
Structure of the presentation
I. The new State Aid Block Exemption Regulation
4
General observations

• Good practice in consultation by the EC
• 3 rounds of consultation, 3 drafts, sufficient
  time to respond
• Active involvement of WE members
• (From PL, HU, SW, UK, IE, NL, BE)
• Successful lobbying effort
• Much improved draft (definitions, thresholds..)
• Good example of stakeholder cooperation
• Service providers, disability organisations

5
Follow-up actions
Ask for clarification/additional info
WE position paper
Polish members position paper
possible actions
Lobbying actions at EU national level
Follow implementation of Regulation
6
Links Contacts

• State Aid Reform page
• http//ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/ref
  orm/reform.cfm
• New Third Draft General Block Exemption
  Regulation in PL
• http//ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/ref
  orm/gber3_pl.pdf

STATE AID CONTACTS Poland The Office of
Competition and Consumer Protection Pl.
Powstanców Warszawy 1, 00-950,
Warsaw http//www.uokik.gov.pl/pl/ European
Commission Harold Nyssens EC Commission, DG
Competition Unit A-3, State Aid Policy and
Scrutiny Office SPA 3, room 8/4, 1049 Brussels
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
Email harold.nyssens_at_ec.europa.eu
7
II. Using effectively EUs online resources
8
Basic facts about EU website

• Europa - biggest website in the world
• Wealth of information policies, legislation,
  news, statistics, institutions, grants,
  profiles..
• No uniformity in design, presentation,
  information, language..
• Different degree of update daily news outdated
  info
• All EU languages used but above all EN, FR, DE
• Growing number of visits
• More focus on interactivity, user-friendly
  presentations
• Introduction of accessibility standards
• Increased use of film and images
• Search function not good

9
How to find info about

• Disability/social field
• Policy
• Legislation
• Funding opportunities
• News

10
Principles of good navigation

• Visit regularly websites of interesting DGs
• Subscribe to a newsletter/press releases
• Try to relate issues to activities, e.g.
• Disability gt Social Affairs
• Lifelong Learning gt Education
• State Aid gt Competition
• Try not to google
• Use WE office for support

11
Exercises

• Find
• Communication from the European Commission on the
  situation of disabled people in the European
  Union the European Action Plan 2008-2009
  (COM/2007/738)
• Directive on Services in the Internal Market
• Lifelong Learning Programme Call for Proposals
  2008
• Who in Commissioners Spidlas cabinet is in
  charge of disability
• Polands National Reform Programme 2007
  implementing the Employment Guidelines
• Conference European Day of People with
  Disabilities 2007 Active Players in the Internal
  Market report and presentations

12
Contact
Martin Ohridski Public Affairs
Officer Workability Europe Address Rue de Spa
15, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium Tel [phone]
64 Fax [phone] Email
publicaffairs_at_workability-europe.org Website
www.workability-europe.org