Brussels, 09/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - The informal discussions of EU social affairs and employment ministers ended in Guimarães on 6 July with conclusions drawn up jointly by the presidential trio of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. These conclusions set out 12 key points to help the EU face the challenges ahead. Ministers concluded that:
(1) The coordination of policies is one of the most important tools for helping Europe progress in employment and social issues. (2) The opinions of member states, the European institutions, social partners and representatives of social NGOs have enabled the identification of core messages for the future in terms of European employment strategy and the open method of communication, within the context of the Lisbon strategy. (3) It is important to strengthen and further improve policy coordination dynamics, through the clear mapping of priorities. (4) The need to improve the integration and visibility of social priorities within the broader strategic framework of the reform of the European economic and social models, and specifically in the integrated guidelines of the Lisbon Strategy, has been stressed as a horizontal factor for the success of such an endeavour. (5) Active ageing is a decisive element for the encouragement of the sustainability of social protection systems. (6) Social inclusion is a fundamental dimension of sustainable development strategies in Europe. It provides tools, among other things, to maximise the potential of European societies and economies, and also has positive effects on employment, the economy, skills and human development. Combating poverty, especially among children and young people, should be a matter of more active concern. Future steps in “active inclusion”, based on promoting labour market integration, adequate minimum income schemes and access to good quality social services, may help build a solid and balanced framework in the area of inclusion. (7) It is essential to have a comprehensive and balanced approach on flexicurity, with adequate mixes of flexibility and security. The most difficult challenge will be to design new strategies that incorporate both adaptability and security through change, in order to meet the needs of companies and workers. (8) It is also very important to enhance the strategic capacity of employment policies (employment growth, the quality of jobs, balancing work and family life, equal opportunities for men, and women, migration dynamics, etc.). (9) Investment in human potential, through better education and better training systems and lifelong learning, is fundamental to sustainable economic and social development. (10) The quality of indicators available in social and employment areas has to be improved and the role of benchmarking was underlined. (11) European coordination processes have everything to gain from enhanced stakeholder involvement, in that citizens would be better informed of outcomes. (12) The potential of the Lisbon strategy has to be maximised, and the Employment/Social Council will be required to play a leading role in improving the employment and social dimensions of the Lisbon strategy. (gb)