Brussels, 03/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - EU employment and social affairs ministers adopted key messages on Wednesday 29 February for the European Council on 13-14 March in the fields of employment, social policy and equal opportunities. The ministers also discussed progress to date and future challenges vis-à-vis labour markets and tackling poverty.
After the meeting, the president of the Council, Marjeta Cotman, told reporters that the following messages were key: (1) the new Lisbon round: the European strategy is bearing fruit but the targets have not yet been met - the Lisbon strategy target of increasing employment rates among older workers and women by 2010, for example. Cotman said that by 2009, 5 million new jobs will have been created; (2) prioritising improvements in the quality and quantity of work: the number of Europeans, particularly young people, out of work is too high and all attention had to be focussed on the unemployed and people living in difficult, precarious circumstances, along with vulnerable groups (like immigrant workers, women and disabled workers), investing in human capital and updating the labour market. The EU should further facilitate geographical and professional mobility; and (3) increasing social cohesion and updating social protection (welfare). Here the ministers agreed that good harmonisation was required and work should continue on tackling poverty and improving equal access to healthcare.
EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla expressed outrage at child poverty and the fact that 19% of Europe's children live in poverty. This is unacceptable, he said, adding that it had been proven that social transfers cut the risk of child poverty. Spidla briefed the Council on progress on flexicurity, launched in response to a request from the December 2007 EPSCO Council. At a press conference, he said the aim of this work was to help member states promote the visibility of flexicurity and adoption of it in their country. He announced that the Commission would be visiting countries in April which wanted to share their good practice in this connection (Poland, Sweden, Spain, France and others) and would be submitting a report on these different practices to the December 2008 European Council.
During debate in the morning on the key messages (see EUROPE 9613), French minister, Xavier Bertrand, said a post-2010 social project was required for Europe. His Luxembourg opposite number, François Biltgen, said that despite a few changes, the new integrated guidelines were important for the visibility of employment and called for employment policy to be a joined-up strategy and not simply for the benefit of the economy. The reintroduction of detailed targets is a good thing, he added, noting that Jean-Claude Juncker called this 'convergence stress'. Addressing the Slovenian Presidency, Biltgen said that everything connected with early training had to be boosted, along with lifelong learning and not by simply quantifying further education. There are two differences, he said, namely ensuring workers' training remains up to date (which is good for the employer) and acquiring new skills (which is vital for workers because it means they can boost their earnings, apply for other positions and/or jobs, etc). Speaking on behalf of Portugal, José Antonio Vieira da Silva said lifelong training had to be combined with active ageing. Sending a 'continuity message' to the European Council, Swedish minister, Sven Otto Littorin, said that true change would only be possible if social security policies were changed and labour markets updated. Belgium's representative said the upcoming social agenda should suggest the setting up of a social dialogue secretariat that is institutionalised and able to formulate ideas. Deputy Belgian permanent representative, Didier Seeuws, said it was important such a secretariat was not solely dependent on the European Commission. Romania said social dialogue was the key to future success. The social partners (employers and trade unions) should appropriate the reform process, said Romanian secretary of state, Denisa Patrascu. Like Polish secretary of state, Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak, and Czech minister, Petr Necas, Denisa Patrascu called for the establishment of public-private partnerships for employment services. Finnish minister, Liisa Hyssälä, highlighted three points: respect for member states' social models, ensuring mobile workers can keep the social rights they have acquired, and the granting of an income allowance for all children across the board, irrespective of their social origin, to tackle child poverty. (G.B.)