Evaluating work was at the heart of the informal Employment and Social Affairs Ministers’ meeting on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 April in Malta. European ministers highlighted the fact that work was the best way to ensure social inclusion.
At the end of the first day of work, Helena Dalli, the Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumption and Civil Liberties stated, “Equality is the glue that keeps our society together”.
In practice, the meeting is based on three work sessions: knowledge and skills as a bridge to the empowerment of Europe’s active population; - the means to tackle inequality on the EU labour market, with unemployment as the main factor leading to inequality; - the labour market as the main vehicle for social inclusion, with particular emphasis on the need to become independent from welfare payments. Representatives from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the European Foundation for Improving Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) took part in the event.
“Many delegations have emphasised the crucial role of policies in favour of the labour market, vocational training and lifelong learning, as well as the role of these elements to help connect skills with the requirements of the labour market”. The minister added that, “The discussions also focused on the means of ensuring coexistence between family and professional obligations”.
The social package will be presented on Wednesday 26 April by the Commission but was only briefly mentioned by Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, who only attended part of the meeting. Overall, the Commissioner suggested that this package would contain measures to promote the European pillar of social rights (see EUROPE 11734), initiatives to reconcile family and professional life, a reflection document on the future of social Europe with 27 members and an interpretive communication on working time. The package will also launch two consultation phases for social partners: one on social protection and the other on the “written declaration” on the directive.
The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU is expected to draw on these discussions to elaborate the draft conclusions for promoting initiatives that encourage unemployed people to enter the labour market. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)