The European Commission has adopted a proposal to improve digital education across Europe. The plan aims to equip citizens with the skills and competences they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The proposal includes measures such as promoting the use of digital technologies in education, supporting the development of digital skills among teachers, and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality digital infrastructure.

On May 18th, a variety of social innovation projects taking place across Europe will be highlighted at the Social Innovation Fair Event in Glasgow Caledonian University. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit booths set up by partner organisations, where they can learn more about each project and its impact. Additionally, one-hour sessions will be hosted by different projects, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the work being done.

The European Parliament recently adopted new rules aimed at tackling the gender pay gap through mandatory pay transparency measures. The new legislation requires companies with more than 250 employees to publish information on the gender pay gap within their organisation. This includes providing data on the average salaries of male and female employees, as well as information on bonuses and other benefits.

On April 11th, the Commission initiated the first round of consultations with European social partners regarding a potential revision of the European Works Councils Directive. This consultation is a result of the European Parliament's legislative own-initiative resolution of February 2023, which requested a revision of the Directive.

The 11th edition of the European Social Innovation Competition has been initiated by the Commission. This competition aims to encourage social innovation and its potential to offer solutions to societal challenges. Additionally, it also aims to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe.

The competition is accessible to social innovators belonging to EU Member States and countries linked with Horizon Europe.

Atlantic Social Lab partnership wishes you a Happy Easter!

An open masterclass on social innovation and territorial dynamics will be held on 26th April at the University of the Algarve's Faculty of Economics (room 3A) by Hugo Pinto, Professor at the Faculty of Economics and CinTurs researcher and Principal Investigator of the Atlantic Social Lab at CES-University of Coimbra.

The course is part of the Masters in Tourism Economics & Regional Development, but is open to the entire academic community.

On the 5th of April, under the title "Social Innovation and Digital Transition in the Atlantic Area: Pilot experiences to respond to new social needs with the Covid-19 pandemic", the research team of the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra will present the Atlantic Social Lab project at the XII Portuguese Congress of Sociology in Coimbra.

A proposal for a Directive to make it easier for companies to extend the use of digital tools and processes in EU company law has been adopted by the European Commission today. The aim of this proposal is to simplify the cross-border activities of companies and to enhance transparency and trust in business by increasing the availability of company information to the public at EU level.

The conference "Investing in Digitalisation in the Western Balkans" took place in Sarajevo and involved a donor coordination meeting on the Western Balkans Common Regional Market and the Regional Digital Area.