Brussels, 05/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 5 December, the Employment/Social Policies Council adopted the eight common principles underpinning flexicurity, as well as the joint opinion of the Employment and Social Protection Committee. Next week heads of state and government will in turn be called on to support these principles.
In its conclusions, the Council calls on the Commission to take the measures needed in the balanced implementation of this approach, and to launch a public initiative in close cooperation with European social partners in an effort to promote support for these principles by stakeholders on the labour market. The adoption (without debate, as Coreper did not provide any opposition) by EU ministers for employment and social affairs is in response to the mandate of the European 2007 spring summit, and follows last June's Commission communication - “Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity”. The communication aims to increase flexibility and security and provide good social cover, as well as better contracts for workers. A Commission source explained that this would only be possible if there were flexible but secure contractual arrangements, a strategic approach to life-long learning, an active labour market policy and modern social protection systems.
Eight common principles adopted by the EPSCO Council are: 1) flexicurity is a means to enhance implementation of the Lisbon strategy, create more and better quality jobs, modernise the labour markets and promote quality work through new forms of flexibility and security to increase adaptability, employment and social cohesion; 2) flexicurity involves the deliberate combination of flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, comprehensive lifelong learning strategies, effective active labour market policies, and modern, adequate and sustainable social protection systems; 3) no single approach. There is no single labour market model for all member states. Each member state should develop its own flexicurity arrangements; 4) flexicurity should promote more open and flexible labour markets, open to all, and put an end to labour market segmentation. Flexicurity involves both workers and the unemployed; 5) internal flexicurity in companies should be taken into account, i.e. there should be opportunities for upward mobility in a company. There should also be mobility between unemployment, inactivity and work; 6) flexicurity should support gender equality, by promoting equal access to quality employment for women and men, and offering measures to reconcile work, family and private life; 7) flexicurity demands a climate of confidence and a vast dialogue between all stakeholders, where all are prepared to take responsibility for change with a view to socially balanced policies; 8) flexicurity requires a cost effective allocation of resources and should remain fully compatible with sound and financially sustainable public budgets.
A senior Commission official asserted that “no new instruments are being proposed here, we are remaining within the Lisbon strategy”, adding, “in 2008 we will place a lot of importance on flexicurity and on seeing how member states have made their labour markets more flexible”. He highlighted the goal of flexicurity, “which is not one of making work contracts less secure, quite the contrary - the goal is a balance between security and flexibility! The element of confidence between social partners is essential when planning strategies together”. He concluded that “flexicurity will be the central element in the next three-year cycle in the Lisbon strategy”.
Diplomatic sources noted that “flexicurity is a term that forms part of the European 'corpus'. We can see that in legal terms it represents social dialogue, funding and access to jobs”. The same diplomatic source added that “flexicurity is at the heart of the labour market”. The French prime minister, François Fillon, recently declared that his country supported this concept and that they had to “take ownership of it”.
Presenting the opinion of the Employment Committee to ministers, committee president, Emilio Gabaglio said “the text is a balance between the need to introduce flexibility into the labour market while continuing to guarantee social protection in jobs and the labour market”.
Emilio Gabaglio laid emphasis on the fact that “in the definition and in the practice of flexicurity policies, the role of the social partners is fundamental”. He went on to state: “It is highly desirable that the joint principals can be taken by the social partners as a source of inspiration, as an intensification of social dialogue in light of their recent joint analysis of the employment market”. That said, the president of the committee on employment continued, we must be aware that the concept of flexibility is still meeting with scepticism, “if not opposition”, in a considerable proportion of the world of employment. “It is vital that actions are set in place at national and European levels to improve the understanding of the real nature and characteristics of this approach to employment policies, whilst bearing in mind that it will only be on the basis of the results in terms of fighting precarious situations, the promotion of better jobs and the quality of work that the general public will make up its mind”.
Other results of the day
Over lunch, the ministers held a “highly political” discussion of the “working time - temporary work” package, presented by the Portuguese presidency. This discussion was expected to continue “to the end”, as was that on the “acquisition and preservation of additional pension rights” dossier. The Council also adopted conclusions on: - prospects of the European strategy for employment within the framework of the new round of the Lisbon strategy; - the integration of the people furthest from the labour market; - indicators on women and poverty in the framework of the Beijing action programme; - “balancing the roles of women and men in the interests of employment, growth and social cohesion”. The Council also adopted a resolution on the follow-up of the European Year of equal opportunities. It reached partial general orientations on the coordination of social security systems and held a guideline debate on social services of general interest. EUROPE will return to the results of this Council. (G.B.)