Brussels, 15/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - Organised by the Council of Europe, the 8th conference of European ministers responsible for social security is to take place in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 21 to 23 May, and will be on the "Repercussion of the migration of labour on social security systems in Europe". Council of Europe Secretary General, Walter Schwimmer, will open the work, in the presence of Slovak Ministers Joseph Licari and Peter Magvasi and the President-in-Office of the EU's Social Affairs Council, Juan Carlos Aparicio. On the eve, a hearing is scheduled with the social partners and non-governmental organisations. The conclusions of the work will be drawn by Peter Magvasi and Gabriella Battiani-Dragoni, the Council of Europe's Director General for Social Cohesion.
Ministers will, in particular, debate the following subjects: - legal status of migrant workers in relation to social security: ministers will analyse on which legal basis (national legislation, international law) migrant workers are dealt with, and to what extent they are on an equal footing with the nationals of the host countries; - implementing the legal instruments of the Council of Europe on migrant workers: participants will turn to possible obstacles to the implementation of these instruments by States that have ratified them, especially in countries that have joined the Council of Europe within the last decade.; - access for migrant workers to the right to social security and actual access to social security benefits: an assessment will be made, so as to improve this access for migrant workers and members of their families; - social security, migration, equal opportunities: specific problems for migrant women: ministers will doubtless observe the lack of protection for migrant women regarding social security, problem that is still underestimated; - situation of migrant workers and members of their families regarding social security: the aim here is to broach the question of the export of social security benefits, especially family allowances; - impact of migration on funding social security: ministers will examine the impact of labour migration on financing social security, notably faced with an increase in cross-border activities, both for the host country and country of origin.