Brussels, 02/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - EU social and employment affairs ministers met up on 3 March under the presidency of François Biltgen (also attended by European Commissioner Vladimir Spidla) to adopt a document containing key messages for the spring summit 22-23 March. Ministers will adopt joint reports on jobs and social protection. The report on jobs contains, for the first time, the analysis of the 25 EU Member States' application of the guidelines for employment and the Council's recommendations for updating the three objectives in the European employment strategy: full employment, quality and productivity of work, cohesion and social insertion. The draft report on social policy included areas covered by the open method of coordination, such as inclusion and social protection, pension and health care. Ministers will also take note of the Commission's synthesis report to the European spring Council, its communication on the Social Policy Agenda 2006-10 and the second report on equal opportunities.
On Thursday, the Council is expected to produce a general orientation on the regulation on coordinating social security systems. The objective is to update the two regulations in force and take into account the amends to national legislation, as well as concluding simplification procedures on medial care received aboard. Ministers should also produce a general orientation on a Community programme on employment and social solidarity (PROGRESS), on financial aid for implementing the Union's Lisbon objectives and replace the four existing specific action programmes. The presidency will inform the Council of the draft directive on altering working time, the main pending issue - conditions for Member States' derogations to maximum working week (“opt-out”). Ministers will adopt conclusion on the social dimension of globalisation and receive information from the study on the Committee for social protection in private pension schemes.