In the period 2nd till 7th
November 2006, thirteen participants from the countries included in the
Social Institutions Support Programme (including Bulgaria and Romania), had
the opportunity to participate in the Study Tour organised by DG III and the
SISP Office in Skopje. The Study Tour included the attendance to the Social
Security Co-ordination Training Course in Prague, Czech Republic (2-4
November), followed by the Study visit to the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg (6-7 November).
Participants in the Study Tour were selected on the basis of their results
achieved during the 1st and the 2nd summer school on social security
organised by SISP. Participants of the Study Tour that were awarded a Magna
Cum Laude Diplomas during the summer school were automatically accepted as
candidates to the Study Tour. Those CARDS countries that did not had Magna
Cum Laude representatives from the summer school, have appointed one person
per country (usually member of the national administration) to participate
in the Tour.
During the co-ordination training in Prague, participants became familiar
with the principles of the social security co-ordination in the pension,
health care, applicable legislation and the unemployment area. Almost all
lectures were followed by working groups, were participants received an
opportunity to implement lectures in practise through solving concrete
cases.
The Study visit to Strasbourg, among others, was used to inform participants
mainly about the work of Directorate General III, Social Cohesion, and
Directorate General II, Human Rights (in particular the European Social
Charter) but also to give an overview about the European Court of Human
Rights and about the Council of Europe as an Organisation in general.
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