Brussels, 30/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - The morning session of the Employment and Social Affairs Council, this Monday 30 November, was a great success. Major decisions were made on ending the crisis and preparing the Lisbon strategy for between now and 2020, Swedish Minister for Employment Sven Otto Littorin told the press (EUROPE 10020 and 10026). The Council also reached a political agreement on the revised framework agreement on parental leave, which extends the parental leave to which workers are entitled from three to four months for each parent, at least one month of which cannot be transferred to the other partner. It also reached an agreement on the decision allowing the member states to ratify the convention on work in fisheries of the ILO (convention 188) in areas which come under the exclusive competency of the Community. The Council adopted the Council's conclusions on the subject "Healthy and Dignified Ageing", which stressed the importance of increased cooperation between the member states to support the dignity of older people in the framework of healthcare in the EU.
Against a backdrop of a market which has registered a record number of job losses since the crisis started, on which the unemployment rate stands to be higher than 10% by 2010 and in which economic activity has not resumed as hoped, the only solution to face these challenges is to work "together" to create measures to fight the crisis, stressed Sven Otto-Littorin, introducing the guideline debate on the EU's strategy 2020. "Before the crisis, more than 100 million Europeans were outside the legal employment market. This has had consequences for our finances and our ability to deliver regarding the social protection systems", he said. The European Commission presented its micro-funding facility as a solution, which will be the contribution of the EPSCO Council to the fight against the crisis. As for the reflections on the strategy of the EU and renewing the European strategy for employment, these will continue under the Spanish Presidency of the EU. Mr Littorin went on to conclude: "We will need everybody, employment market policies which push people to find a job. Social Europe starts with a job". The president of the Council nonetheless stressed the importance of making sure that a coordinated approach is in place between the various sectors: "the employment policy is not a domain which is isolated from the others. Industry, education and the budget are also areas we need to work with to create an exclusive and inclusive employment market".
In the view of Vladimir Špidla, the EU's strategy for 2020 should focus above all on the following question: "How can the EU tackle demographic ageing, climate change and economic change?" By adding value, by creating an inclusive society and by creating a green and sustainable economy. The Commission will take particular interest in human capital and employment, stressing the actual consequences at grass-roots level (in the regions), and the integrated guidelines created by the member states. The commissioner for the social affairs and employment went on to say that "the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment was a fairly practical tool, but one which requires progress. The next decade must be the decade of human capital".
Still in the framework of the debate on the UE 2020 strategy, the president of the employment committee (CPE), Bruno Coquet, noted that "the crisis adds new challenges, such as climate change and increased social cohesion, but it does not remove any of the existing challenges! The integration of macro and micro-economic policies and employment policies must be pushed forward and made use of in future. In addition, we need reinforced and simplified governance". His counterpart from the social protection committee, Fernandez Lopez, called "for attention to be focused on the requirements of the citizens, to reinforce the social acquis and take account of the external dimension of this strategy".
Denmark asked for assurances that the people who have been worst hit by the crisis would be able to retain a good standard of living. As regards the follow-up to Lisbon II, Copenhagen stressed the need for the democratic challenge to be dealt with. In the view of the Czech Republic, the Lisbon strategy has positive and negative elements. The Lisbon strategy post-2010 should take inspiration from the 2000 version and focus on growth and employment. It must also be extended to other sectors. Prague wishes to see fewer objectives and fewer priorities, but for these to be met, and a reduction in the number of measures, but for these to be properly explained to the citizens. In a written declaration, Germany said that "it should be up to the nation State to decide which objectives to apply at national level and what these should consist of. Only the individual member states have the technical and legal competence to adopt and implement the appropriate measures for the long term and to examine their effectiveness". It is worth noting that this declaration was considered as part of the debate, as none of the other delegations went along with the German view. For the United Kingdom, the Lisbon strategy has achieved results in certain areas, but it requires a serious overhaul. London stressed that the most vulnerable groups should benefit from the most effective activation policy. Austria pleaded for new rules to be put in place which, in the event of a further crisis, would not be left in the hands of the financiers. Cyprus believes that the 2020 EU strategy should lay emphasis on the employment market and guarantee social interdependence. As for Greece, it takes the view that the strategy should not be "an exercise in democratic routine. We need a genuine political discourse, to include the social partners". Slovenia stated that "the strategy should include a number of social, employment and economic objectives in a balanced manner. The basic principle still remains jobs for all". "Europe needs to be more aggressive in defending its priorities of social progress and the fight against social exclusion, and lay emphasis on activation measures for training for the unemployed. The social partners must make their contribution to relaunching the economy, social issues and environmental matters". Hungary believes that "a well-structured employment market should be inclusive, by such means as an attractive employment market", and stressed the "importance of developing an instrument based on dialogue". The same goes for Bulgaria, which added that "leaving the crisis behind requires a tripartite dialogue at all levels, in all circles". For Finland, "it is better to have an economy which emits less CO2 and a sustainable Green economy. Citizens must remain central to our actions to defend our economies and businesses. This also applies for an environmentally-friendly employment policy". Slovakia stressed the importance of social protection and social inclusion. In the view of Poland, businesses should be obliged to concentrate on human capital. It also called for more use to be made of the European funds for employment to help young people. "The EU strategy 2020 must be the reference framework in choosing reforms and in reducing regional differences. We must pool education and employment and consolidate interaction and collaboration with the social partners/NGOs", added Romania. For Portugal, "the EU strategy 2020 must promote a genuine coordination of policies based on a society of knowledge, promoting a green and competitive economy and empowering people within an inclusive society". Lithuania called for the strategy 2020 to focus on increasing employment and the availability of labour and to stress the social dimension of the crisis. Italy stated that the EU should adopt a strategy to intervene to protect families and do all in its power to keep everybody on the job market. In the view of Malta, a balance must be sought between realistic and ambitious objectives and the differences between the member states regarding the monitoring of these objectives must be taken into account. "At European level, we need correct diagnostics and a joint response must be made to the solutions. We must achieve the best possible cost-efficiency ratio and be aware that the increase in unemployment and constraints have a growing influence on the public purse", added France. Growth and employment are watchwords of the EU strategy 2020, said the Netherlands. "The financial crisis is behind us, the employment crisis is before us! As regards the future strategy 2020, we need an active employment policy and an active driving force behind management", said Belgium. "2020 must focus on job creation, not just economic and financial aspects", added Spain, concluding: "The Europe of cohesion is the Europe of quality employment". (G.B./transl.fl)