The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) adopted on Thursday 6 December a watered-down version of the recommendations on access to social protection for employed and self-employed workers. This version emphasises the voluntary nature of the integration of social security recommendations.
"While we propose a social security system that is mandatory for five of the six main pillars of social protection, the Council has preferred not to impose these obligations in the recommendations", said Employment and Social Policy Commissioner Marianne Thyssen.
"But I think that, if we consider the final result, we can only be satisfied, because we need unanimity on these issues ", she explained. She said it was "a very strong instrument ", with Member States having really committed to presenting a plan.
The discussions focused mainly on protection in the event of work-related risks (Article 13). The paragraph recommends that Member States ensure that schemes provide their members with an adequate level of protection, i.e. sufficient and timely enough to provide them with a decent standard of living, adequate income replacement and to prevent them from falling into poverty.
After a blockade by Hungary, the Austrian Presidency of the Council clarified that these measures will be taken according to national circumstances.
Despite this change, Hungary abstained. Although the Council's legal services have ensured the opposite, Budapest is concerned that the EU Court of Justice may refer to these recommendations in its interpretation of European legislation.
As a reminder, the Commission's approach, with these recommendations, was to monitor labour market developments and the growing number of non-standard workers, in order to guarantee sufficient social protection for all (see EUROPE 11980). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)