The Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs met by videoconference on Thursday 19 March to take stock of national measures to counteract the consequences of Covid-19 on employment, in the presence of the Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and the Vice-President of the Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis.
Both Commissioners detailed the measures presented by their institutions in recent days (see EUROPE 12446/1, EUROPE 12446/2). They confirmed in particular the setting up this Monday of the working group intended for the authorities managing the structural and investment funds to help them take advantage of the new systems put in place. They also confirmed the acceleration of the preparation of the European Reinsurance Facility, which should be presented before the summer.
The day before, Commissioner Schmit and the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, had sent individual letters to all governments detailing the assistance according to national specificities (to consult them: https://bit.ly/2Qz0K05 ).
During the exchange, which lasted 3 hours, the ministers showed a convergence for: - making partial unemployment possible, as in Germany; - providing parents who have to work with a childcare system adapted to today's particular hygiene conditions; - supporting the lowest incomes; - adopting a range of measures (tax deferral, etc.) to avoid causing massive bankruptcy among SMEs.
No other meeting of this type is planned in the immediate future in the framework of the 'Employment and Social Policies' training, but the ministers would have set up a common Whatsapp channel to exchange on a regular basis, according to a diplomatic source.
This meeting replaced the Employment, Social Policies and Consumer Affairs Council originally scheduled for that date (see EUROPE 12439/19). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)