On Tuesday 28 May, Sweden and Finland opposed draft conclusions on the contribution of the EU Council to the EU’s strategic agenda for 2024-2029 in the field of employment, social affairs and equality.
Above all, Sweden argued that it was not within the remit of the EU Council to try to influence the work of the European Council.
Nor does Sweden still have any plans to join the ‘La Hulpe Declaration’, signed on 16 April (see EUROPE 13392/19), which is intended to guide the future social guidelines of the next legislature.
The draft conclusions, which are very short, reference the ‘Val Duchesse Tripartite Declaration’ for a flourishing European social dialogue, take note of the ‘La Hulpe Declaration’ on the future of the European pillar of social rights, and welcome the European Commission’s intention to review the action plan on the social rights pillar in 2025, which will serve as a basis for further action at EU level with a view to achieving the EU’s 2030 objectives.
Sweden would like the EU to focus on other priorities, such as Ukraine or competitiveness, and considers that all actions in the social and employment field should serve to support this competitiveness and respect the competences of the Member States and the autonomy of the social partners.
However, according to one source, other countries, including Estonia, have raised concerns about the short draft conclusions. Ireland also has questions about the process.
Others, however, point to the now systematic nature of the Swedish refusals, believing that the government is using pretexts to attack the work of the former socialist coalitions, which gave rise to the Gothenburg social agenda in 2017. The country is reportedly currently blocking all the draft conclusions planned for the EPSCO Council, seeking to delete every reference to the ‘Pillar of Social Rights’.
Consensus is required to adopt conclusions.
Link to the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/cf0 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)