The Europe Agency supports the Berlin Senate Department for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination (SenASGIVA) in activities in the European context. This includes, among other things, the organisation of events on various topics and to raise the profile of Berlin’s employment, education and training policy at a European and international level.

The current contract is concerned, on the one hand, with the preparation, implementation and follow-up of events–such as international expert discussions, meetings and conferences—using a range of different event formats and methods. Documentation for most events is available (in both German and English) at: www.berlin.de/sen/arbeit/.

The support provided to the Senate Department for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination will however also focus on sharing experiences and on cooperation in the area of employment, labour market and education and training policy. This focus will also include overarching aspects and interfaces relating to policy-making areas (e.g. diversity, integration, equality) as well as research on the effectiveness of policy-making measures, including their evaluation, relating to the labour market, education and training. Networking in the context of Berlin’s town twinning arrangements, the EUROCITIES network and other forums and partnerships will have a key role to play in this.

Current Events

Review of Past Events

2026

International Expert Discussion: ‘Shaping fair platform work: Berlin’s role in the European implementation process’

On behalf of the Senate Department for for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, the Europe Agency organised the international expert discussion ‘Shaping fair platform work: Berlin’s role in the European implementation process’ on 22 June 2026. Around 60 representatives from politics, public administration, academia, trade unions and the platform sector gathered at the Change Hub in Berlin to discuss the implementation of the EU Directive on platform work and possible supplementary measures at state level.

The event focused on the question of how the provisions of EU Directive (EU) 2024/2831 – which must be transposed into national law by December 2026 – can be effectively implemented to close existing protection gaps in precarious service sectors such as delivery and cleaning. In her opening remarks, Senator Cansel Kiziltepe emphasised Berlin’s commitment to actively shape the implementation process and advocate for fair working conditions in the platform economy.

The ‘Voices from the Field’ session, featuring Dr Anna Dietrich (Lieferando), reporter Sascha Lübbe, Robert Walasinski (Riders Collective Austria) and Moritz Wiederänders (Lieferando Workers Collective), highlighted the challenges facing the platform-based food delivery sector. Topics discussed included algorithmic management, social security and workers’ rights to co-determination.

In addition, a keynote by Prof. Dr Manfred Walser (Mainz University of Applied Sciences) and an expert discussion with State Secretary Micha Klapp, Dr Silvia Rainone (European Trade Union Institute), Robert Räuchle (BMAS) and Prof. Dr Manfred Walser shed light on the legal and political scope for action at EU, federal and state levels.

Deep Dive: Food delivery services

Given the precarious working conditions and well-known abuses in the food delivery sector, this formed a key focus of the event. In particular, discussions centred on ways to curb problematic subcontracting structures, including through a mandatory direct employment (with Enrico Somaglia, EFFAT, and Dr Johannes Specht, Hans Böckler Foundation), as well as questions regarding the design of communication channels between workers and platform operators in accordance with Article 20 of the EU Directive (with Anna-Elisabeth Hampel, Minor Projektkontor für Bildung und Forschung, and Dr Silvia Rainone, ETUI).

The closing panel, ‘Fair platform work in food delivery services’, featuring Prof. Dr Caroline Dressel (University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Technology, Berlin), State Secretary Micha Klapp and Dr Johannes Specht, made it clear that the implementation of the EU Directive should be supported by supplementary measures at state level in order to strengthen fair working conditions in the food delivery sector. State Secretary Micha Klapp also announced a ‘Bundesrat‘-initiative by the Senate Department to enshrine the requirements that have been drawn up at state level once a draft national bill is available.

2025

#Talent4Tomorrow: Securing Skilled Labour in Europe
On 14 November 2025, the international conference “#Talent4Tomorrow: Securing Skilled Labour in Europe” took place in Berlin.
The conference was hosted by the State of Berlin and organized by the Europe Agency on behalf of the Senate Department for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination (SenASGIVA).

The conference addressed representatives from politics, civil society, academia, and practice from all over Europe and facilitated a cross-border exchange on challenges, solutions and best practices from Berlin and Europe.

The conference focused on the labour market participation and employment potential of underrepresented groups, the potential of AI, the importance of immigration for securing skilled workers as well as decent work and qualification as the key to securing skilled labour.

The conference took place at the Umweltforum Berlin (Pufendorfstraße 11, 10249 Berlin) and was also  available via livestream.

2024

Fighting labour exploitation – For decent work in Europe

On November 8, 2024, the international conference “Fighting labour exploitation – For decent work in Europe” took place in Berlin.

The conference provided a forum for cross-border exchange on current challenges, potential solutions, and best practices from Berlin and across Europe.

The conference featured presentations by, among others:

• Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, Berlin Senate 

• Cansel Kiziltepe, Berlin Senator for Labor, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity, and Anti-Discrimination

• Martin Oelz, Senior Specialist in the Department of Working Conditions and Equality at the International Labour Organization

• Anne-Kathrin Krug, Research Associate at the Human Trafficking Reporting Center, German Institute for Human Rights

• Dr. Jan Cremers, independent expert on the Governing Board of the European Labor Authority and visiting scholar at Tilburg University/Tilburg Law School, Netherlands

2023

Skills for Europe:

On October 9, 2023, the international conference “Employment in Transition — Skills for the Future” took place.

With the “European Year of Skills,” the European Commission had placed the topic of skills development at the center of its agenda. In doing so, it built on the European Skills Agenda, which had been launched in 2021 and was based on the action plan for implementing the “European Pillar of Social Rights.”

To mark the “European Year of Skills,” the Berlin Senate Department for Labor, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity, and Anti-Discrimination organised the international conference “Employment in Transition — Skills for the Future” , featuring presentations by representatives from politics, civil society, academia, and business from across Europe.

The conference focused on increasing participation in continuing education, the role of educational counseling services, and the importance of workplace training for future-proof employment. Examples of best practices from Berlin and other European cities and regions were presented, demonstrating how skills acquisition can be used as a means to address labor and skilled worker shortages, and how previously underrepresented groups can be reached, motivated, and engaged in continuing education and skills development.

Speakers at the conference included:

• Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin
• Cansel Kiziltepe, Berlin Senator for Labor, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity, and Anti-Discrimination
• Dr. Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights
• Prof. Dr. h.c. Jutta Allmendinger, President of the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)

The conference took place as a hybrid event: A limited number of people were able to attend in person, and online participation was also available via the conference website. There were various opportunities for active participation, including digital surveys, Q&A sessions, and engagement and discussion via chat.

2022

On September 2022 the conference: "Empowering Young People through Decent Work and VET – The European Year of Youth 2022 in times of transformation and crisis" took place.

On the occasion of the European Year of Youth 2022, the Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Services organised a European conference. The title of the conference was: Empowering Young People through Decent Work and VET – The European Year of Youth 2022 in times of transformation and crisis.

The focus of the conference was on the question of how young people can be supported in the transition to vocational training and good work. The role played by the major crises and transformation processes of our time - the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and its consequences, as well as digital and demographic change - was given special consideration.

In the conference, young people reported on their current professional situation and their expectations for their professional future. They and speakers from trade unions, business partners, companies, civil society organisations as well as politics and administration, discussed what support young people need for a successful entry into working life, how decent work and vocational education and training (VET) can be designed, how training companies and young people can best find each other and how the large and important task of integrating young refugees into the labour market can succeed.

European, national and urban perspectives were important. Policy frameworks and approaches, scientific contributions and experience reports were discussed. In addition, the European Union's reinforced Youth Guarantee as well as approaches and examples of good practice from Berlin and other European cities were discussed and exchanged to promote mutual learning.

Due to the continued need for infection control measures, the conference was held in a hybrid event format. A limited number of places were available for on-site participation in the VKU Forum, while the remaining participants were able to actively participate in the exchange online via the conference website.

2021

In 2021, the Europe Agency has organised the following event on behalf of the Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs and in cooperation with EUROCITIES:

15 - 17 November 2021: EUROCITIES Social Affairs Forum.

Cities for inclusive recovery after the pandemic: How can cities use social innovation to secure fair, green and digital jobs?

The Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Services hosted the three-day Social Affairs Forum (SAF) meeting of the EUROCITIES cities network from 15 - 17 November 2021. The English-language, digital event was broadcast from the Einstein Center Digital Future. Almost 200 participants from 22 countries addressed central questions on strengthening and shaping social innovations in cities.

EUROCITIES is the largest European city network, with currently 204 cities from 39 countries. Its aim is to identify the needs of cities, point out their potential and thus strengthen their role within the complex structure of the EU institutions. Berlin has been a member of EUROCITIES since the mid-1990s.

During the Forum, participants discussed in ten workshops how the digital transformation and new digital jobs can be shaped in a sustainable and just way. Further challenges such as climate change, child poverty and social participation were highlighted using good practice examples from various European cities. The main focus was on social cohesion in European cities.

The entire event with virtual tours through the Einstein Center Digital Future, the Humboldt Forum and the future locations Berlin TXL and Siemensstadt² as well as the 14-minute welcome video and the video of a virtual exhibition of Berlin projects are available on the SenIAS YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/SenIASBerlin/.