The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council intends to provide the EU with an ambitious social programme and should, among other things, finalise negotiations on the directive regarding workers on digital platforms (see EUROPE 13320/14), as well as those on the coordination of social security systems, as indicated in its work programme.
The Presidency commits to “[seeking] to strengthen social dialogue at all levels, promote fair labour mobility, mental health at work as well as access to sustainable social protection”.
It also wants to “strengthen the social dimension of the European semester - with particular attention to the first implementation of the Social Convergence Framework and the potential of social investments - and to promote a framework conducive to the development of the social economy”, with the Member States having adopted a recommendation on the subject (see EUROPE 13301/33).
The Presidency will also advocate stronger political action on decent and affordable housing for all.
Safeguarding the health and safety of workers will also be “of paramount importance. Within the scope of the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027, the Belgian Presidency will focus on a more holistic approach to mental health. This approach will address workplace-related stress, burnout and other mental health issues, while also preventing and reducing risks at the workplace and supporting the post-illness return to work, including for the self-employed”.
Social dialogue
But one of the first major events of the Presidency will be devoted to social dialogue through a summit of social partners co-organised with the Commission at Val Duchesse, almost 40 years after Jacques Delors convened the meeting that gave rise to the European social dialogue.
Announced in September during Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, this social summit is due to take place on 31 January, the same date as the meeting convened by Jacques Delors in 1985.
The Presidency’s other priorities in the area of social dialogue include strengthening mechanisms for democracy at work and moving forward the results of the European social partners’ discussions on teleworking and the right to disconnect as part of the Council deliberations.
It will also be closely monitoring the forthcoming initiative to revise the European Works Councils Directive. The Commission has announced two legislative initiatives on the matter for the beginning of the year. The meeting on the Works Councils is scheduled for 16 January.
The Belgian Presidency will also be organising an informal meeting on 10 and 11 January devoted to employment and social affairs.
The programme for this meeting had not yet been released by the Presidency at the time of going to press.
Link to the Belgian Presidency programme: https://aeur.eu/f/a4i (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)