Ministers will be invited to adopt a partial general approach on the Regulation establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for the period after 2020 at the ‘Employment and Social Policy’ Council (EPSCO) on Friday 15 March.
The agreement is not expected to substantially change the European Commission's proposal, except that the Council has amended the criteria for intervention by the Fund, indicating that the EGF cannot be mobilised when public sector employees are made redundant as a result of budget cuts by a Member State.
In general, Member States have agreed to lower the eligibility threshold to 250 employees (from the current 500) and to adapt the eligibility criteria to globalisation, as well as to changes resulting from digitisation, automation and restructuring.
The text is not expected to cause major problems for Member States, according to a diplomatic source; rather, its late adoption was due to the fact that the issue was not a priority.
There will be no opening of inter-institutional negotiations, as the European Parliament has already adopted its position at first reading due to a too tight timetable. Parliament has substantially amended the text, extending its scope to other forms of transition, including those related to climate change and new technologies in addition to globalisation (see EUROPE 12173/9).
However, the biggest change could come from the EU Council, another diplomatic source tells us, in the context of the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework (MFF), which could lead to the abolition of the fund and its integration into the European Social Fund plus (ESF+).
During the day, ministers will be invited to hold two orientation debates, one on the social dimension of the 'European Semester' in the budgetary process, and the other on the social dimension of Europe after 2020 (see EUROPE 12205/9).
Regulation on the coordination of social security systems. The Presidency will also report on the particularly difficult negotiations on the Regulation for the coordination of social security systems (see EUROPE 12213/22). In the morning, before the beginning of the session, a group of Member States (Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Germany) are expected to meet to review their position on the text. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)