Brussels, 04/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - Whilst presenting its social and employment priorities, the Luxembourg Presidency pointed out that it would highlight the new social agenda (2006-2010) that the European Commission is to propose at the beginning of the year and which will be closely linked to mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy. In this context, the Presidency will ensure that the joint report on employment (from the Council and Commission) - and the guidelines for employment with the recommendations that arise from these guidelines - are adopted in parallel to the broad political guidelines for employment.
Furthermore, François Biltgen, Luxembourg's Employment and Labour Minister, will take on the work of his Dutch counterpart, Aart Jan De Geus, on the proposal of directive that updates the 1993 directive on adjustment of working hours. The new text, on which there was no political agreement during the Employment/Social Council early December because of the opt-out clause (see EUROPE of 9 December, p.12, in particular), mainly aims to ensure worker health and safety by protecting workers against excessively long working hours and disturbing working regimes, and at the same time to allow companies and Member States greater flexibility for the management of working hours. Minister Biltgen will deploy every effort to reach a political agreement on this dossier during his time of presidency.
Still further to the work of the Dutch Presidency (see EUROPE of 9 December, p.12), Mr Biltgen hopes to obtain a political agreement on the directive aimed at grouping into a single instrument the seven directives that affect equal treatment when it comes to employment (equal pay; equal treatment for access to employment, training and promotion, and working conditions; equal treatment in job security systems; burden of proof in case of discrimination based on gender) as well as on the proposal for a text on the creation of a Gender Institute, to be presented early 2005. The Presidency will closely follow the Beijing action programme (Beijing + 10) on gender equality, in particular with a ministerial meeting to be held on 4 February in Luxembourg, the aim of which is to reach a powerful political message with a view to the 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (New York, from 28 February to 11 March).
The Presidency will also seek to reach a political agreement on the proposal for a directive relating to the "Progress" programme. We recall that this programme covers five areas: employment, social protection and inclusion, working conditions, fight against discrimination, and gender equality. The Commission has proposed that it should have a budgetary allocation of around EUR 600 million over 7 years (for details, see EUROPE of 20 July 2004, p.18).
Regarding the coordination of social security systems, the Presidency will negotiate with the European Parliament at second reading on the proposal of regulation relating to the "2003 amendments" to the regulation on the coordination of these systems.