Brussels, 07/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - During their meeting on 6 March chaired by Mona Sahlin (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.10), the EU ministers for social policy and employment held a broad discussion on the preparation of the Stockholm Summit. Their work was based on several reference papers: the Commission's Synthesis Report (which was presented to the ministers by Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou), the reports from the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee, the Commission's scoreboard on implementation of the Social Policy Agenda, the Commission's Communication on the "new employment markets in Europe" and the results of a study by the Social Protection Committee on the long-term viability of pensions (see EUROPE of 5 and 6 March, p.12 and 3 March, p.6).
At the close of the debate, the Swedish Presidency drew conclusions that it will forward to Prime Minister Göran Persson with a view to the Stockholm Summit. According to the Presidency, the ministers:
1) felt the Employment and Social Council had an important role to play in the follow-up to the strategy set up in Lisbon;
2) generally welcomed the Commission's Synthesis Report, while stressing their commitment to a balanced approach between employment, economic and social policies;
3) reiterated the central goal of achieving full employment;
4) highlighted the importance of the social dimension and the integration of an equality perspective to social security systems. In this context, the ministers hoped for further progress for reconciling family and work life;
5) welcomed the Commission Communication on "New European Labour Markets" but stressed the importance of ensuring an open access for all;
6) underlined the necessity of removing barriers to mobility and supported in this context the establishment of a High-Level Task Force to propose solutions to the skills gap identified in particular in the information and communication technologies' sector;
7) attached particular importance to the work in fighting poverty and social exclusion and expressed the need for further development in this area.
In response to the bitter criticism expressed on the Commission Synthesis Report by certain ministers who reproached it for placing too much emphasis on economic aspects, Anna Diamantopoulou stressed that the report contained ten priorities, four of which have a social resonance: the creation of more quality jobs, the development of new European labour markets, the strengthening of social cohesion and the need to remedy the skills gap in the field of information and communications technologies.