Brussels, 30/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - EU Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs are to meet on Monday 3 December in Brussels under the Belgian joint chairmanship of Laurette Onkelinx, Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, and Frank Vandenbroucke, Ministers for Social Affairs and Pensions. Anna Diamantopoulou will represent the European Commission. Work will begin at 9h00 with an extremely full agenda for this last Social Council under Belgian Presidency. The ministers will adopt a series of documents to be forwarded to the Summit of Laeken, namely: 1) the report on the joint aims and working methods on pensions; 2) a list of indicators and a joint Commission/Council report on the fight against poverty and social exclusion; 3) the "employment" package 2002/2002 and the new instrument 2001 on the quality and employment indicators (in the context of the European employment strategy). They will also discuss reform of the Regulation 1408/71 on coordination of social security systems. Still in this field, the ministers will examine the sensitive issue of the legal base to be applied for extending the regulation to nationals of third countries. The only legislative text that could be the subject of a decision (agreement on common position) is the directive on the protection of workers in the event of employer insolvency on which the Parliament took a stance on Thursday (see EUROPE of 30 November, p;9). In addition:
1. The Council is to adopt the proposal of decision relating to the European Year of Disabled People 2003, an adoption that will coincide with the European Day for the Disabled (3 December). The Belgian Presidency hopes above all to launch an awareness campaign.
2. The Council is to adopt conclusions on: a) a mechanism at European level for resolving conflicts between employers and workers that go beyond the national level: social mediation; b) the follow up of the summits of Lisbon, Stockholm and Gothenburg on the structural indicators. According to the Council, the indicators must also include health.
3. The Council will be informed by the Commission of the state of progress of work as well as the guidelines of the report that it is preparing on a higher rate of employment and the promotion of "active ageing".
4. The Council will adopt the joint contribution from the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee for preparation of Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG).
5. It will note the state of progress of work on the proposal of directive completing the statute of the European cooperative company relating to worker involvement.
6. The Council will hear an oral report by the Presidency on the latest stage of discussions with the European Parliament at 2nd reading with a view to adopting the directive establishing a general framework relating to worker information-consultation within the Community (post-Renault directive).
7. The Council is to adopt conclusions on the examination of implementation by Member States of the Beijing action programme, mainly with regard to salary inequalities.
8. The Council will be informed by the Presidency of two notes concerning the integration of a gender perspective in EU policies: the first in the BEPG and the second in Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
9. The Council should adopt a resolution on the follow-up of the Commission's Green Paper on social responsibility of companies, which aims to launch broad consultation between trade unions, employers and NGOs.
10. The Council will note the state of progress of work on the proposal of directive relating to the protection of workers against risks linked to asbestos exposure (amendment of Council Directive 83/477/EEC). The aim is to reach a common position under Spanish Presidency.