| 25 February 2009 Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Petr Nečas opens conference in Prague on the potential of immigrants into the labour market as a means to strengthen EU competitiveness. The ministerial conference on this very topical issue gathers a number of prominent speakers from the public and private sector, universities and non-governmental organisations in the Prague Congress Centre on 26 and 27 February. They will address the issue of integration of immigrants into the labour market and the host society and their contribution toward increasing EU competitiveness. The Summit of the European Council in Lisbon, Portugal, in March 2000 undertook to transform the European Union into the most competitive and dynamic knowledge economy before 2010. This economy must be capable of sustainable growth and creation of more and better-quality jobs. In the light of the fact that in the following years Europe expects a decrease in the number of citizens of productive age, the controlled immigration and successful integration of immigrants into the labour market and host society is considered key to the strengthening of EU competitiveness. The goal of the conference “Strengthening EU Competitiveness – Potential of Migrant Workers on the Labour Market” is to share successful practical examples from this area and address this issue from the perspective of the state, private and non-profit sectors and from the perspective of the social partners, whose cooperation is especially important. In three thematic panels the following issues will be addressed: experience of employers with employment of foreign workers, influence and means of support and integration of such workers into the labour market, elimination of obstacles to their integration but also the issues of insufficient competitiveness of the European economy and obstacles on the labour market (for more detailed information see the attached programme). conference-programme.doc
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