Brussels, 31/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The EU Employment and Social Policy Council will meet on 3 June in Luxembourg and will be chaired by Juan Carlos Aparicio Perez. Anna Diamantopoulou will be representing the Commission. Progress is expected in social security, health and safety at work and workers' protection against asbestos, as well as the statute of a European co-operative society. The Council is expected to:
Provide a general guideline for the extension of the regulation provisions (CEE) No. 1408/71 (social security) for nationals from third countries residing legally in a Member State of the EU and for Permits I ("general provisions") and II ("determining the legislation to which a person is submitted") and the draft proposal on the co-ordination of an EU social security level. Ms Diamantopoulou's spokesman, Andrew Fielding, explained that this involved people admitted to Member States for working and who wanted to work in other EU Member States;
Approval of a general guidelines on the statute of the European co-operative society (regulation and directive). This "package" is worked out on the European society adopted in October 2001;
Reach a political agreement on the directive strengthening workers' protection against risks linked to asbestos at work;
Adopt two resolutions: on the new Community health and safety at work strategy for 2002-2006, the other on qualifications and mobility.
At lunch, Ministers will be able to exchange views on the Broad Guidelines for economic policies (BGEP) of the European Commissioner at the request of several delegations that want to maintain the Lisbon balance between different economic and social aspects. The results of this debate will be sent to the President of the ECOFIN Council as the Employment Council's contribution to the elaboration of the BGEP. The Commission will also present its proposals on the protection of temporary agents and on health and safety for self-employed workers. The Presidency will inform the Council of its results of the Barcelona Summit, the integration of the political and environmental dimension and the agricultural policy, the results of the 2nd world assembly on ageing, as well as its different activities (conference of social Security Ministers in Europe and Latin America, congress on the disabled). The Presidency will present another study on violence against women in the EU and a guide of good practices for ending this violence. The President of Social Protection, Mr Briet, will be presenting his report on social protection for 2002 to the Council.