In December 2010, IZA, a private, independent research institute, has published a report on 'The Role of Social Protection as an Economic Stabiliser: Lessons from the Current Crisis', which is based on a study requested by and conducted for the EP's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. According to the authors social protection, in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation, have significantly contributed to reducing the depth and the duration of the current recession in EU Member States and to stabilising labor markets and consumption. However that is not sufficient, they explain: ''Further action is needed to overcome inequalities in access to social protection faced by non- standard workers''. EU national governments keeping the focus on the labor market, is to the authors the key move to secure their exit strategy from the crisis. The Key Findings and Recommendations sections of the document call on policy-makers ''to strengthen social protection by preparing now adequate schemes for the future and overcome unequal access to social security: it is particularly important to ensure that non-standard workers, those with fixed-term contracts or only a short employment record, in particular young people [...]

On 4 February over 500 people participated in the debate at the European Parliament on innovation and good practices for Italy on the occasion of the third and second last stage of ItaliaCamp. This initiative, which has met considerable success in the previous events in Rome and Lecce, intends to be an ideas laboratory and a bridge to launch the best Italian and foreign talents. All this happens in a barcamp, a place to exchange ideas open for the suggestions of all the participants. During the “unconference” in Brussels, which was opened by the vice-presidents of the European Parliament Gianni Pittella and Roberta Angelilli, over 50 projects were presented, ranging from scientific projects to communication and media projects, which entered the contest   "Your idea for the country".

On 2 February the LIBE committee discussed the proposal for a directive on the single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the EU. MEPs backed the original Commission text on 'additional documents' and confirmed December's plenary vote on the employment issues. According to most MEPs, allowing Member States to issue additional documents would defeat the whole purpose of having a "single permit". In fact the proposed "single permit" directive aims to streamline bureaucratic procedures for all potential immigrants applying to live and work in an EU Member State, by enabling them to obtain work and residence permits via a single procedure. The proposal would also confer a common set of rights to third-country workers comparable to those of EU citizens, such as minimum working conditions, recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications and access to social security.

About 1 in 3 children in the EU are born out of wedlock and 9 out of 10 of single parents are women. On 31 January the Femm committee hosted a public hearing on "The situation of single mothers", attended by MEPs and academics who debated the challenges single mothers household are facing and practical solutions and policies to help them. As pointed our by the Chair of the FEMM Committee, Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL) “societies and family set-ups are changing, so we need to take into account new family situations.'' Italian MEP Barbara Matera (EPP) - who will draft Parliament's report on the subject - spoke of the "exponentially growing number of mothers in poverty" and underlined the importance of ending gender discrimination, ensuring responsibility of fathers and conditions for conciliating family and working life.European Survey of Mothers

Women across Europe face greater poverty and poorer pay and working conditions than men. A report backed the FEMM Committee on 27 January calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary measures to eliminate gender inequalities in employment as part of the EU 2020 Strategy. As Romanian Socialist MEP Rovana Plumb stressed "the current economic, financial and social crisis that affects the European Union, as well as the rest of the world, is generating a series of specific negative effects, directly influencing women’s living and working conditions, and their place in society in general." MEPs also agreed on the necessity to adopt a European Women’s Rights Charter to improve women’s rights and opportunities and to promote mechanisms to achieve gender equality in all aspects of social, economic and political life.

Poverty, migration, integration, and challenges for the European model of society are the key topics discussed at the third Citizens' Agora on 27-28 January at the EP in Brussels. Organised in co-operation with the European Economic and Social Committee, the Agora includes plenary sessions, three parallel workshops and a ''consensus conference'' - bringing together 20 people aged over 60 living in precarious situations - with Civil society representatives and citizens debating and raising awareness on the relationship between the current financial and economic crises and the different forms of poverty. The opening session is at 11.00 CET, Thursday 27.

On 19 January the EP has called in a resolution on Lithuanian MPs to reject an amendment to the Lithuanian Code of Administrative Offences which would punish with fines from €580 to €2,900 the ''public promotion of homosexual relations'' . The proposed legislation in Lithuania could potentially criminalise almost any public expression or portrayal of, or information about, homosexuality, according to a report by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The adopted resolution, put forward by the S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/GNL groups, also welcomes positive developments in Lithuania, such as previous presidential vetoes on homophobic laws, and the inclusion of sexual orientation as a motive for hate crime. Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek Co-President of the LGBT Intergroup, commented: ''We need to educate people - including children and youth - about the different forms of sexuality that have always existed in every culture, everywhere in the world, including in Lithuania. Hiding facts from young people generates fearful attitudes, prejudice and hate, something Europeans stand united against.''

Supporting social awareness and scientific knowledge on Alzheimer are the keys to act on neurodegenerative diseases and to promote respect for people affected by dementia, according to the EP's European initiative adopted on 18 January. The initiative represents a crucial step in the recognition of the social as well as health dimension of Alzheimer disease as it underlines ''the need to maintain the dignity and respect of the people with dementia at the core of any action, whilst research is necessary on how to prevent social exclusion and encourage active citizenship''. "The incidence of Alzheimer's disease doubles every 20 years, but European responses are too often absent or very weak. The situation of patients, their families and carers is very imbalanced across Europe. It is therefore a priority to strengthen efforts towards early diagnosis and prevention, research, and proper health services", commented Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL, PT), who drafted the non-legislative report. The Council and the Commission have a crucial role to this extent; this is why MEPs called the two Institutions to take account of the concept of dementia when preparing future actions in the area of preventive health policy.

Adoption, and where necessary international adoption, should be encouraged, so as to give children who are abandoned or at risk of becoming institutionalized in orphanages a family life, says the European Parliament in a resolution approved on 19 January. On top the resolution, presented by EPP, S&D, ALDE, ECR and GUE groups, intends to facilitate the procedure within the EU by improving coordination at European level between politics and strategies related to the instrument of the international adoption. Moreover the resolution insists on the need to put in place effective measures to prevent child trafficking calling on all EU institutions and all Member States to participate actively in the fight against illegal adoption. The adopted text also urges Member States to pay particular attention to children with special needs, such as children who require medical care and disabled children.

Currently, only 1% of Member States’ health budgets are spent on crossborder healthcare and patients' rights abroad until now have been very vague. The new EU law approved by MEPs on 19 January clears up and sets out patients' rights to seek medical care in another EU country. Seeking healthcare abroad could particularly benefit patients on long waiting lists, or those unable to find specialist attention. The new Directive concerns only to those who choose to seek treatment abroad. The European Health Insurance Card scheme will continue to apply for citizens who require urgent treatment when visiting another EU country. The text drafted by MEP Françoise Grossetête (EPP, FR) is the result of an agreement reached with Council, which must also give its formal approval. Once signed into law, Member States have 30 months to make changes to their national legislation.