Insofar as the Treaties allow, does the Commission intend to take measures - or propose that the Member States do so - to ensure that minimum standards apply to prisoners' living conditions in the Union or that best practices are exchanged between the Member States in order to help prisons acquire a more human face and give prisoners a 'second chance'?

Insofar as the Treaties allow, does the Commission intend to take measures - or propose that the Member States do so - to ensure that minimum standards apply to prisoners' living conditions in the Union or that best practices are exchanged between the Member States in order to help prisons acquire a more human face and give prisoners a 'second chance'?

Emergency help to 130,000 people immediately after they have been displaced (principally food, essential non-food items), essentially through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Aid to a further 60,000 people for up to a year, to improve their living conditions and help them get back on their feet (clean water, good sanitation, adequate shelter, basic health care, psychosocial support); Protection (this includes support activities for detainees and hostages and their families and help for the families of missing persons); Specific aid to children to prevent further child recruitment (14 000 children under 18 are est ...[+++]imated involved with armed groups); Coordination (between national and international humanitarian agencies); Aid to 70,000 Colombian refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador and Venezuela, targeted at their most urgent needs, principally in the areas of water and sanitation, shelter, health care, food and livelihood support, psychosocial support and protection.

This is the main conclusion from a joint report on living conditions and quality of life by the European Commission and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

The following are some examples of the type of health indicators which will be collected in the new system : - Health Status, covering such areas as life expectancy, causes of death, disabilities, quality of life and mental health; - Life Style and Health Habits, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, diet and drug abuse; - Living and Working Conditions, covering the general environment, housing conditions, the work-place and transport accidents; - Health protection ...[+++], including health promotion and disease prevention activities; - Demographic and other factors such as gender, education and income.

The programme, entitled "1992 and Beyond: new opportunities for action to improve living and working conditions in Europe", contains six major subjects for the Foundation's consideration in the 1989-1992 period : - the development of the social dialogue and industrial relations; - the restructuring of working life; - the promotion of health and safety; - the protection of the environment, the worker and the public; - raising the standard of living and quality of life for all; - the study of the technologies of the future.