On Thursday 15 March, European ministers for social affairs reached a certain convergence of views on the social objectives that the European Union is due to pursue after 2020. This convergence was reached on supporting the changes to the labour market, mitigating the impact of globalisation and demographic imbalances, and integrating migrants and refugees.
By contrast, the positions expressed on Thursday at the EPSCO Council appear to diverge on the different means for putting these objectives into practice, particularly with regard to developments in the European Social Fund (ESF).
The majority of member states agree on the main objective to pursue in the long term for guaranteeing social convergence, and all of them referred to the European pillar of social rights adopted last November in Gothenburg (see EUROPE 11907, 11906).
In addition to highlighting support for labour market developments in an effort to tackle the upheaval provoked by globalisation and technological revolutions (particularly artificial intelligence, automation and digital changes) on the one hand, there is also the question of demographic evolution, such as the ageing European population and the labour force in certain member states being attracted to other member states. This latter point was particularly emphasised by certain Baltic countries and those in Southern and Eastern Europe.
The question of integrating new arrivals and refugees was also an issue raised by many, as was the question of training and re-qualifying workers. The introduction of greater flexibility in the use of European funds in an appropriate timeframe and on the basis of territorial specificities, as well as their radical overhaul, particularly with regard to controls, were also almost systematically mentioned.
ESF in question
Views diverged most significantly on what resources should be provided in this connection and how should the European Social Fund (ESF) should develop.
The Netherlands supported the idea of merging socially related funds into a single fund dedicated to the development of human capital. This proposal brings to mind the one envisaged by the European Commission' employment services (see EUROPE 11902).
Hungary was strongly opposed to this idea. Budapest would prefer to maintain the autonomy of the different funds, like Malta and France, which appear to want to maintain the specificity of certain funds, such as the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).
Some countries proposed to concentrate action on a number of limited themes and cohesion member states, in an effort to increase the impact of these interventions and, on this basis, the visibility of European action. Other member states, on the contrary, such as the Czech Republic, highlighted the need for the ESF to cover all member states.
Several delegations - Poland, Hungary, Sweden and Denmark - highlighted the subsidiarity principle in the social domain. Poland said that it was sceptical about the social scoreboard, while Greece, on the contrary, highlighted its importance.
Several member states emphasised the importance of maintaining the relationship between cohesion policy and the ESF, such as Hungary, which emphasised the regional dimension of social disparities. On this point, Commissioner for Social Affairs Marianne Thyssen said that she did not want to dissociate cohesion from social affairs but improve coordination between the European funds.
According to one diplomatic source, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper) meeting was extended into an informal meeting on Wednesday 14 March in an effort to coordinate the positions of the different delegations. Hungary outlined its position in more detail on this occasion.
The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will provide a synthesis of the contents of these exchanges in a letter that will be addressed to the General Affairs Council on Tuesday 20 March.
The European Council is expected to contain a mention of the future of social Europe it is conclusions on 22 and 23 March but no debate is planned, according to the information EUROPE has received. According to the draft conclusions dated Monday 12 March of which EUROPE has obtained a copy, the EU28 will request that the Council “swiftly” examines the social fairness package unveiled on Tuesday (see EUROPE 11980). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens and Mathieu Solal)