Upgrading active inclusion strategies in the Member States in policy areas such as affordable quality childcare and education, prevention of early school leaving, training and job-search assistance, housing support and accessible health care are all policy areas with a strong social investment dimension.

Social investment helps people to adapt to challenges such as changing labour markets and to avoid hardship such as falling into poverty or losing their homes. Examples are early childhood education and care, prevention of early school leaving, lifelong learning, training and job-search assistance, housing support, accessible health services and facilitating living independently in old age.

The European Commission has requested Greece to ensure full compliance with EU rules on public procurement – the purchase of goods and services by public authorities – as regards school bus services and the supply of underground electricity cables.

whether there are common minimum rights or standards shared values and principles for health services on which citizens can rely throughout the EU; what practical issues need to be clarified for citizens who wish to seek healthcare in other Member States; what flexibility Member States have to regulate and plan their own systems without creating unjustified barriers to free movement; how to reconcile greater choice in exercising individual entitlements with financial sustainability of health systems overall; how to ensure proper compensation for cross-border healthcare provided ‘receiving’ countries; how patients or professionals can ...[+++]identify, compare or choose between providers in other countries; the link between health services and related services such as social services and long-term care; and what happens when patients need compensation where the healthcare provided has been harmful, which evidence suggests happens in around 10% of cases.

1. RECALLING the Council Resolution of 18 November 1999 on the promotion of mental health , which, inter alia, invited the Commission to consider incorporating activities on the theme of mental health in future action programmes for public health, the Council Resolution of 29 June 2000 on action on health determinants , the Council Conclusions of 5 June 2001 on a Community strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm which, inter alia, underline the close link between alcohol abuse, social exclusion and mental illness, and the Council Conclusions of 15 November 2001 on combating stress and depression-related problems , which, inter alia, invited Member States to take actions to improve knowledge on the promotion of mental health in primary care and oth ...[+++]er health services as well as in social services;

Comprehensive urban and regional planning strategies taking into account e.g. infrastructure, housing, leisure, shopping, health service, transport and school facilities and the needs of the local labour market, can overcome these barriers and reduce the negative consequences of urban segregation, including social tension between immigrants and the host population.