SOCIAL AFFAIRS: MEPS DISCUSS 2006 WORK AGENDA IN VIENNA.

• Position: Members of the European Parliament - Brief article

According to a spokeswoman for the Committee, there was no official agenda for the series of meetings. Such visits are routinely paid ahead of upcoming EU presidencies - Austria takes over from the UK on January 1. MEPs held talks with Economics and Employment Minister Martin Bartenstein and Social Affairs Minister Ursula Haubner, as well as with Socialist MP Heidrun Silhavy, who heads up the employment and social affairs committee in the Austrian Parliament.

The Austrian government has indicated that it is keen to use its EU presidency continue the debate on modernising the 'European social model', including a focus on 'flexicurity', one of the hottest buzzwords in this context...