Brussels, 14/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, Philippe Busquin presented 89 new socio-economic research projects that will receive Community financial aid totalling EUR 81 million. These projects, which make up the largest network ever set in place in the world in this field, aim to illustrate the current social changes and trends in Europe, in order to then contribute to developing measures intended to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. Commenting on the event, the Research Commissioner said: "Today, people are faced with very different pressures from those that faced earlier generations. In order to find effective solutions to the problems facing European society in the 21st century, we need specific information on the root causes". Projects will tackle a wide range of themes:
- Well-being of the society and individual, quality of life and social cohesion. Three themes cover: - overcoming obstacles and using the possibilities for a policy that extends active life in Europe; - the impact of social structures in mutation on stress and the quality of life; - the conflict between family and professional life; - justice systems for youth in Europe; - the role of the trade unions in combating discrimination and xenophobia; - and comprehension of the homeless population.
- Governance, citizenship and the process of integration, enlargement and European security. Themes covered are: - political participation of young people in Europe; - dual citizenship; - communication with small and medium-sized enterprises; - citizenship of migrants and minorities; - obstacles to cross-border commuting in the EU; - cultural models of the European enlargement process; - identification of the challenges of the European enlarged single market; - and enlargement and media.
- Gender equality, governance and quality of life. Themes covered: creation of conditions propitious for the success of women engineers; - a European conception of employment and gender equality in the society based on knowledge; - gender equality, parenthood and the changing European workplace; - women-friendly public policies; - and the network on European women's rights.
- Challenges to development models: broad perspectives, knowledge dynamics and innovation. Covering issues like: - employees' social rights and wage inequality in Europe; - employment and innovation in the public sector; - higher education institutions' responses to Europeanisation and a European policy for intellectual property.
- Infrastructures for building the European Research Area. Covering issues like: - European culture online; - multilingual access to data infrastructures in the European Research Area; - integrating knowledge with the use of IT tools in science education.
