Brussels, 06/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EU employment and social affairs ministers expressed their desire in Brussels on 6 March that in order to contribute to meeting the Lisbon strategy objectives, they are planning to step up efforts to modernise employment and sketch out the new European Employment Strategy (EES) in view of enlargement of the EU and following up on the informal Nauplie Council at the end of January. They are sending a clear message to the Brussels Spring Summit wanting, as President Dimitrios Reppos put it, "work for all, work meeting the needs of those who want it and those who are not excluded from the job market, high quality, secure work that is creative and conforms to a society of progress". During the debate, described as "highly interesting and very fruitful" by Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, the ministers called for a simplification of the Employment Guidelines and the setting up of an Employment Task Force by the end of 2003. They stressed the importance of combatting work off the cards, which will be a priority of the Italian Presidency of the EU, announced minister Roberto Maroni. They will also be strengthening the role of the social partners when it comes to employment and integrating legally resident foreigners in the European labour market. They described the joint Commission-Council 2002 document on employment and the opinions of the Employment Committee and the Committee for Social Protection as "very good".
In view of the Spring Summit, our Council has a very important role to play to strike a balance between the employment, social and environment policies, which is important for a 25-member EU, said Diamantopoulou, during the public debate, adding that insufficient progress has been made in the Lisbon strategy, and the employment targets for 2010 will only be reached if reforms are swiftly implemented. The need to make speedy progress in reforming the labour market was also highlighted by the President of the Employment Committee. The President of the Committee for Social Protection called for a well articulated European Employment Strategy. Anna Diamantopoulou also announced a Communication by the Commission in April on a new package of guidelines, to be adopted by the Council in June. She said she agreed to stick to a very simple, clear framework for the guidelines, but stressed the need to take count of the specific conditions in the different Member States.
On the Employment Task Force, Belgian minister Laurette Onkelinx expressed concern at the mushrooming of European initiatives, like the Task Force, outside the bodies that met on Thursday. Her Luxembourg counterpart, François Biltgem, said the Task Force should in no way be an alternative to the EES, but should be directly responsible to the Commission. The Portuguese secretary of state stressed the important role the Commission must play. British minister Malcolm Wicks said the Task Force should concentrate on the European labour market and act as the moral authority offering new local and regional perspectives. Finnish minister Kare Halonon said the Task Force was a good idea for talking about employment but was not to marginalise other actors.
In terms of undeclared work, Italian minister Roberto Maroni said a common European strategy was required to combat work off the cards and strengthen social cohesion in the Member States.
In terms of the new EES (European Employment Strategy), the Greek secretary of state Robertos Spyropoulos said three factors were essential for implementing the EES, namely actively integrating immigrants into the labour market to cope with the consequences of an ageing population; turning undeclared work and the parallel economy into legal employment; and changing policies to ensure work does not lose its financial interest, making work pay.