monitoring social conditions in the EU and the development of social protection policies in EU countries.

48. Notes that social protection policy, in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation, initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption; stresses, however, that the capacity of these crucial economic and social stabilisers has been worryingly reduced in those Member States in which such stabilisers are most needed; notes that household incomes and domestic demand have consequently been less well protected;

48. Notes that social protection policy, in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation, initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption; stresses, however, that the capacity of these crucial economic and social stabilisers has been worryingly reduced in those Member States in which such stabilisers are most needed; notes that household incomes and domestic demand have consequently been less well protected;

Notes that social protection policy, in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation, initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption; stresses, however, that the capacity of these crucial economic and social stabilisers has been worryingly reduced in those Member States in which such stabilisers are most needed; notes that household incomes and domestic demand have consequently been less well protected;

1. Emphasises the need to increase awareness of the situation of women of all age groups in the context of the EU’s policies on education, social integration, means to balance family and working life, migration and employment, poverty, health care and in its social protection policies, to protect the rights of women, to promote equality and equal employment opportunities for men and women, to ensure safe working conditions, equal access and career opportunities including the application of the same criteria for selection in matters of employment, to concentrate more on the situation of women in the decision-making process and to combat a ...[+++]ll forms of discrimination in the labour market, such as occupation segregation or wage discrimination, in particular by promoting lifelong learning, combating precarious employment and promoting work with rights, working hours that are compatible with a work-life balance, a public healthcare network and social security system, and differentiated practices for the organisation of working time, at the woman’s request;

5. Considers, moreover, that the strategy of mutual reinforcement of economic and social policies as laid down by the Lisbon European Council should lead to convergence of macro-economic, employment and social protection policies at the European level;