Brussels, 02/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg at the start of next week, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers Council (EPSCO) will prepare its contribution to the European Council of 17-18 June with regard to the new EUROPE 2020 strategy for jobs and growth. On Monday 7 June, employment and social policy ministers will seek agreement on an EU target and appropriate indicators for promoting social inclusion, in particular through poverty reduction. Spanish Labour and Immigration Minister Celestino Corbacho Chaves and Equality Minister Bibiana Aido will chair discussions. The Commission will be represented by Employment, Social Affairs and inclusion Commissioner László Andor. Tuesday 8 June will be devoted to health issues.
EU 2020 strategy: ministers will seek:
(1) agreement on appropriate social inclusion indicators. This target entails the definition of a reference aggregate at EU level, i.e. the measurement of the population at risk of poverty or exclusion. This population is defined according to three indicators: at-risk-of-poverty (living with less than 60% of the national median income); material deprivation (experiencing at least four of the nine defined deprivation situations); and people living in a jobless household (population defined in relation to zero or very low work intensity over a whole year). Ahead of the June Summit, the Presidency invites ministers to respond to two questions: Can you support the formulation of the EU target and the related indicators as presented by the Social Protection Committee? Do you consider that lifting at least 20 million people out of poverty or exclusion by 2020 would be both ambitious and realistic?
(2) a general approach on guidelines for member states' employment policies as part of the integrated EUROPE 2020 guidelines. In a letter to the chairman of the EPSCO Council, the chairman of the Social Protection committee (SPC) says that the proposal of EUROPE 2020 integrated guidelines “supports the aim of guideline 10 (“Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty”) as a major reflection of the social dimension of the new strategy”. The SPC says that, in monitoring of progress in social inclusion and poverty reduction, it will capitalise on the expertise gained through the open method of communication in the area of social protection and social inclusion. The SPC intends to provide its contribution on the forthcoming proposal on the “European Platform against Poverty”, which is proposed in the new EU 2020 strategy.
In its contribution, the Employment Committee says it will highlight the main labour market bottlenecks at EU level and will help member states identify theirs at national level with a view to drawing up national reform programmes. It also calls on the Commission to present a proposal on the overall governance of EUROPE 2020 in time for the preparation of the national reform programmes. It will examine how to make the social clause provided for in the Treaty operational in terms of the European employment strategy and says that structural funds should, where appropriate, support initiatives to achieve full employment and inclusive labour markets.
Other items on the EPSCO agenda: ministers are expected to:
(1) approve the Social Protection Committee opinion on solidarity in health: reducing health inequalities in the EU. The chairman of the SPC will present the joint interim report on pensions by his committee and the Employment Committee;
(2) adopt Council conclusions on: - sustainable social security schemes for decent pensions and social inclusion; - new skills for new jobs: the way forward - ministers will take note of a contribution from the Committee on this issue; - active ageing; - making progress on Roma integration;
(3) adopt a Council resolution on the new European framework on handicap;
(4) reach political agreement on: - coordination of social systems with six non-EU countries (Algeria, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Israel, Morocco and Tunisia); - a Council regulation on extending EU rules to the nationals of the third countries;
(5) take note of a progress report on a Council draft directive on equality of treatment regardless of religion, handicap, age and sexual orientation. (G.B./transl.rt)