Brussels, 01/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - No decisions are expected from the Employment/Social Affairs Council, to meet in Brussels on Monday 6 December under the chairmanship of the Belgian ministers Joëlle Milquet (Employment, Equal Opportunities), Laurette Onkelinx (Social Affairs) and Michel Daerden (Pensions). The Commission will be represented by Lazslo Andor.
The morning session will be taken up by discussion on maternity leave (guideline debate on, amongst other things, the Commission's proposal to move closer to the mother's final salary and on reversing the burden of proof: it is up to the employer to provide grounds for sacking pregnant workers), equality of treatment without distinction on the basis of religion, disability, age or sexual orientation (progress report of the Presidency), strategy for gender equality and to combat salary inequality between men and women (conclusions, the discussion point will focus on the gap which still exists of 17% between the salaries of men and women, and on the need to work together with the Commission, the EP, the Council, the social partners and organised civil society on the causes of these salary differences), employment policies in the framework of the strategy EU 2020, and the European semester (exchange of views).
Social dimensions of the national reform programmes in the context of the strategy EU 2020 will be on the day's lunch menu.
The European Year of Active Ageing 2012 (guideline debate - the Council has added the concept of inter-generational solidarity and the Hungarian presidency will discuss this issue with the EP), the future of pension systems (guideline debate focusing on the well-being of the retired and initial reactions to the Green Paper), adequate, safe and sustainable pensions for all European citizens (conclusions), the fight against poverty and social exclusion (declaration to renew the commitment to fight poverty and bring it down) and social services of general interest at the heart of the European social model (conclusions) will be on the table of the ministers in the afternoon. (G.B./trans.fl)