As Denmark takes over the reins of the EU Council on 1 July, the country’s Minister for Employment, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, spoke to Agence Europe on the fringes of the EU ‘Employment and Social Affairs’ Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 19 June. What are the Presidency’s watchwords in this area? Competitiveness, skills, fair worker mobility and strengthening social dialogue. (Interview by Solenn Paulic)
Agence Europe - What will be the EU Council Presidency’s impact in the field of employment? What concrete progress can you make?
Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen. Denmark is obviously taking over at a difficult time for Europe, with war and a growing need for competitiveness. The Polish Presidency did an excellent job, and we will take over by trying to find common solutions.
The core of the Presidency will be working towards greater competitiveness, strengthening security and strategic autonomy, as well as resolving problems related to irregular immigration. And in the area of employment, we can make a significant contribution to strengthening competitiveness by investing in skills. A more skilled workforce will make us more productive, and therefore more competitive. It’s also about ensuring fair professional mobility.
We eagerly await the new initiatives announced by the Commission. As a Presidency, we must emphasise the need for free movement, but also for fair mobility.
Regulation is linked to competitiveness: it must be improved and simplified. We must focus on areas where the EU truly has a role to play. Instead of imposing overly burdensome regulations, we must take a broader perspective.
But, as Minister for Employment and as the future Presidency, prioritising fair mobility also means favouring an approach that does not undermine existing standards.
We must protect workers who move and arrive in another country to work, so that they benefit from the same rights and protections as their colleagues. But it is also, of course, a matter of protecting working conditions, safety, and health at work in host countries.
The Commission could propose a new mandate next year for the European Labour Authority (ELA) and possibly expand its powers. Where do you see the gaps in terms of fair mobility?
The ELA plays a crucial role and I look forward to discussions on the evaluation and on a possible revision of the mandate. I support the role it can play on the issue of mobility of third-country nationals, but we must also discuss the mobility of EU citizens.
We see that social dumping and a lack of protection undermine existing working conditions in both areas. Unfortunately, we also often see circumventions through the use of ‘letterbox’ companies, long chains of subcontracting, etc.
And this is precisely why I included this issue on the agenda of our informal meeting on 7-8 July.
Competitiveness and skills will be a priority; what concrete action can the EU take in this area of training, which remains a national competence?
Each Member State should focus on education, reskilling, and upskilling. We know that our businesses need skilled labour and that we will be short of them. This point must therefore be at the heart of our discussions on competitiveness.
It’s not easy, but it’s crucial for the European Union at this time. We need European responses where we believe they are absolutely necessary. But we must focus and prioritise targeted and simple rules, and we must be honest: competitiveness is linked to the amount of red tape and standards that our businesses encounter. And we don’t have a strong Europe without competitive businesses.
Social dialogue is an integral part of the Danish model. How will you guide the work at EU level?
I deeply believe in social dialogue and I want it to be strengthened throughout Europe. It is a top priority. From a Danish perspective, it is essential to help us, as legislators, find a balance between the interests of workers and employers.
This will also be a priority at the informal meeting of ministers, where the European social partners will be present.
And it is important to emphasise that even without legal texts on certain topics, we can inspire each other and work together at the national level and draw inspiration from one country to another.
I have invited the social partners to actively participate in the discussions and I hope to inspire, or at least demonstrate, in one way or another, the potential that social dialogue can bring.
Denmark, along with Sweden, initiated the challenge to the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive. How would you handle a possible annulment of the text by the Court of Justice of the EU?
I really don’t want to speculate until we know the Court of Justice’s decision (which could come just after the summer, editor’s note). We should wait.
You mentioned the particularly significant challenges facing the EU at the moment. And right now, there is a growing fear that defence spending needs will take precedence over public spending. Is it still possible, in this context, to preserve what we call the European social model?
Yes, we are going through a difficult period of war and we must invest in our defence. Of course, politics is a matter of priorities, but I would really recommend, at least in the Danish context, also investing in human resources because that’s what makes us strong in the long term.
Investing in skills is also what clearly makes us competitive and what makes us have strong companies.
But investing in defence is also a way of building a strong Europe and also investing in people.