Instead of advocating revolutionary measures, an overwhelming majority of ministers spoke in favour of continuing to build on the existing European and international regulatory framework to strengthen the European social dimension after 2020, during a policy debate at the Employment and Social Policy Council (EPSCO) organised by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU on Friday 15 March.
As the EUROPE 2020 strategy, drawn up in 2010, comes to an end and a new budgetary cycle begins, the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU considered it an opportune moment to survey national ministers to determine the EU's priority areas for action after 2020 in preparation for the Sibiu Summit.
A consensus has emerged - instead of adopting new legislation - on the need to "effectively" implement the European pillar of social rights (see EUROPE 11906/2) and its 20 principles, notably with the help of the European Labour Agency, whose regulation establishing it was recently adopted (see EUROPE 12194/1).
Several Member States, such as Austria and Finland, also cited the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Only Luxembourg mentioned the importance of translating the UN COP 21 agreement into action.
With regard to the areas of action, a very large number of speakers stressed: - "bottom-up" social convergence; - lifelong vocational training and upgrading of the workforce and its training in new digital technologies; - strengthening gender equality; - extending social protection to atypical contracts (digital platforms); - strengthening the social mobility of workers.
Several Member States, such as Bulgaria, have insisted on discussions of how to make best use of migrants to counterbalance the demographic downturn in many European Member States and regions.
All stressed the importance of a flexible approach that takes into account national specificities. In doing so, the ministers stressed the importance of integrating and strengthening the social dimension into the 'European Semester' budget process. To this end, Luxembourg proposed that the 'EPSCO' Council should be fully involved in the budgetary process.
Legislative proposals have not been overwhelming, except for Germany's proposal to introduce a minimum wage and the creation of a new guarantee for children, cited by Greece. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)