Nordic-European summit on labour migration in Oslo
Labour migration and flexible labour markets are on the agenda when the Nordic Council meets the Benelux Parliament and the Baltic Assembly in Oslo on Tuesday 13 April. Visits to a prison and a hospital also await the Nordic Council's MPs when they descend on Oslo 13 - 14 April.
Helgi Hjörvar, President of the Nordic Council
- Photographer
- Johannes Jansson/norden.org
Hanne Bjurstrøm, Minister of Labour, will discuss how Europe can improve its competitiveness after the financial crisis with a flexible labour market which takes good care of all employees, when she meets MPs from the Nordic countries, Benelux and the three Baltic States. The tripartite meeting will take place in the Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget.
"There has long been a negative focus on immigration with emphasis on the problems that may arise. We will also look at labour migration from a positive standpoint in Oslo, and, amongst other things, discuss how we can help to boost competitiveness in our countries gradually as we overcome the crisis," says Helgi Hjörvar, President of the Nordic Council, who is looking forward to meeting his colleagues from the Nordic countries, the Baltic States and Benelux in Oslo.
The Nordic MPs have a tight schedule during the two days of the April meetings in Oslo. The Welfare Committee, which is focusing particularly on welfare of the elderly in the Nordic countries this year, will visit the Memory Clinic at Ullevål Hospital on Wednesday 14 April. On the same day the committee will also meet with the Minister of Health and Care Services, Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen.
The Citizens' and Consumer Rights Committee will visit the newly-opened Halden Prison on 14 April. The prison is considered to be one of the most modern in Europe and emphasises qualifications for getting a job, education and health services in order to counteract a return to crime. Correctional Services in the Nordic Region is one of the focus areas for the Citizens' and Consumer Committee in 2010, and the Nordic MPs will use the visit to assess whether to take political initiatives at Nordic level within this area.
What is the future of Nordic public service? The Culture and Educational Committee will focus on this issue at its meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
The parliamentarians in the Nordic Youth Council will also meet in conjunction with the April meetings in Oslo. The meetings gather MPs from all party groups in the Nordic countries.
Contacts
Silje Bergum Kinsten
Phone
+45 33 96 02 51
Email
siki@norden.org
