Brussels, 05/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The EU's Employment and Social Policy Council will be meeting in Luxembourg at 9: 15 hrs on Monday 8 October with two great debates on its agenda, one on the Autumn 2001 employment package and the quality of employment (which the Standing Employment Committee will also be dealing with on the same day from 11: 30 to 13: 00 hrs), and the other on co-ordinating social security systems. The Council will also definitely adopt the regulation aiming to establish the status of the European company and the connected directive on worker involvement. Over lunch (from 13: 00 to 15: 00), Ministers, European social partner representatives and Commissioners Pascal Lamy and Anna Diamantopoulou will discuss how to promote fundamental working standards and improve social governance against the backdrop of globalisation (this topic is also on the agenda of the General Affairs Council on 8/9 October). Work in the morning will be chaired by the Belgian Employment and Equal Opportunities Minister Laurette Onkelinx, and in the afternoon by her colleague responsible for Social Affairs and Pensions, Frank Vandenbroucke. Anna Diamantopoulou will be representing the European Commission all day. An outline of the meeting follows:
1. Employment: After the final adoption of the "status of the European society" dossier which "according to the European Commission will allow savings of up to EUR 30 bn to be made", Ministers will hold a policy debate on the Autumn 2001 employment package and the Commission's strategy to improve the quality of work in the EU. The debate will focus on three issues raised by the Belgian Presidency: 1) How will Ministers assess the proposals made by the Commission in the 2001 package, particularly in the light of recent events and the latest outlooks for the economy and employment? 2) Bearing in mind the mandate from the Stockholm Summit and the current situation in terms of examining the matter of indicators of the quality of employment, what elements would you like to be developed in more detail before the 3 December 2001 Employment Council? 3) What is the outcome of the activities by Member States to set up a global partnership with the social partners in order to implement, monitor and follow up the strategy for employment, and how are they planning to develop this?
2. Integrating a gender perspective into EU policies: The Belgian Presidency will a) report on the prospects of mainstreaming gender into the work of the other Council bodies. The French and Swedish Presidencies had already made a survey of the issue and the Belgian Presidency feels that it is vital to discuss the issue in the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG) in the framework of the ECOFIN Council; b) report on the conclusions and follow-up to be given to the forum on equality between men and women in the Euromed partnership held in Brussels in July 2001; and c) inform the Council about the implementation of the Pekin action programme (following the Pekin conference, Member States must supply information about inequality in salaries). The 3 December Council will return to the issue to draw conclusions on a series of indicators that the Belgian Presidency would like to incorporate in the Luxembourg Process (the 2002 employment package).
3. Social mediation: After the Liège Summit at the beginning of July and various bilateral contacts with Member States, the Belgian Presidency will review the idea suggested by Laurette Onkelinx to create a body of European social mediators.
4. Co-ordinating social security systems: In line with the mandate from the Stockholm Summit, Ministers will hold public debate on the parameters that will be set at the 3 December Council in terms of modernising EEC Regulation 1408/71. The aim is to modernise (simplify and extend the scope of the regulation) and the discussions will be based on three questions posed by the Belgian Presidency: a) Do Ministers agree that retired cross-border workers have to be allowed to receive sickness benefits in kind in the last Member State where they worked (at present, they lose this right when they receive their pension)? b) In order to ensure continuity in the social status of cross-border workers who becomes unemployed, the best solution seems to be for the workers to continue to benefit from social security provisions in the Member State of employment. This view is not unanimous since some delegations would prefer the current system whereby the Member State in which the worker is established makes the payments. Hence the question, which system should be prioritised?
c) Are Ministers planning political agreement that the 1971 regulation should be extended to third country nationals legally established in a Member State?
5. 2003 - The European Year of the Disabled: Ministers will exchange views on this proposal, since the European Parliament's opinion is expected to be given at its November session. The text might be formally adopted at the 3 December Council which is also European Disability Day.
6. e-inclusion: Ministers are expected to adopt the draft resolution on the participation of all in the information society: using the opportunities provided by the information society to combat social exclusion.
7. Combating poverty and social exclusion: The Social Protection Committee will give a progress report on the setting up of indicators, a definition of which will be adopted at the 3 December Council.
8. Quality and viability of pensions: The Presidency will report back orally on progress. A report setting objectives and working methods will be approved at the 3 December Council and will then be transmitted to the Laeken Summit.
Finally, the Commission will present the Council with a draft directive on the protection of workers from the dangers of exposure to asbestos at work.