The French Presidency of the EU Council has put the minimum wage directive and the directive on working conditions on digital platforms at the top of its social agenda, according to its work programme for the next six months published on 1 January.
Thus, the French Presidency builds on the work done by the Slovenian Presidency, which obtained a political agreement of the Member States on the directive on minimum wages (see EUROPE 12847/1).
It now intends to conduct the negotiations with the European Parliament, but is not committing to closing the negotiations. It is true that the co-legislators differ on many crucial points. The European Parliament is more ambitious than the EU Council, notably on the criteria for determining the appropriate level of statutory minimum wages and on the coverage of collective bargaining (see EUROPE 12831/19).
Concerning the European Commission’s proposal on the regulation of working conditions on digital platforms (see EUROPE 12850/14), the French Presidency indicates that it wants to “start” discussions between the Member States.
The work programme does not say whether the French Presidency will seek a political agreement in the EU Council (a general approach). It is true that France is not very enthusiastic about the European Commission’s proposal, which links the presumption of salaried status and the reversal of the burden of proof (see EUROPE 12843/20).
Gender equality
The French Presidency will seek to advance the issue of gender equality by leading the inter-institutional negotiations on the proposal for a directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for men and women, it says.
The Slovenian Presidency succeeded in reaching a political agreement between the Member States on the draft directive on pay transparency (see EUROPE 12847/3) in early December. The European Parliament is expected to adopt its negotiating position on pay transparency in February (see EUROPE 12843/34).
In addition, the Presidency will work to advance discussions on the proposal for a directive on a better gender balance on company boards. Last December, the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, criticised the “persistent” lack of a common approach in the EU Council on this directive and asked the incoming Presidency to take up the issue (see EUROPE 12847/4).
Coordination of social security systems
The French work programme, on the other hand, is silent on the continuation of negotiations on the regulation on the coordination of social security systems. The Slovenian Presidency suffered a clear setback in the Committee of Permanent Representatives I at the end of December, when the national delegations rejected the political agreement it had reached with the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12859/10). France was hoping for adoption of the Interinstitutional Agreement which it considered “balanced”. It therefore built its programme on the basis of this scenario, we were told. Hence the absence of this flagship but particularly difficult legislative dossier.
Social economy, disability and homelessness
In line with the recent action plan presented by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12850/15), a ministerial conference on the social and solidarity economy will be organised on 17 and 18 February.
At the beginning of March, a ministerial conference will be held on socio-economic participation and access to rights for people with disabilities. The Presidency intends to strengthen the European Platform on Homelessness and the ‘housing first’ policy.
An informal ‘Employment and Social Policy’ (EPSCO) meeting will be held on 14 February in Bordeaux and, a month later, the EPSCO Council will take place at the same time as the Eurogroup. A second EPSCO Council is scheduled for 16 June.
To consult the programme of the French Presidency of the EU Council (in French): https://bit.ly/3EOfJcZ (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)