Brussels, 23/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU employment and social affairs ministers met on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 January 2009 in Luhacovice in the Czech Republic to discuss worker mobility. The meeting was chaired by Czech labour and social affairs minister Petr Necas, who pointed out the credo the Czech Presidency, namely that full liberalisation of the labour market and the removal of obstacles to worker mobility were key in the field of employment. Petr Necas told reporters that he was certain that professional and geographical mobility and moving from unemployment into employment could be a tool to help the EU manage the current crisis.
The ministers spent Thursday discussing professional mobility. Necas said that the question of a change of employer should be discussed, but also a change of type of job or employer mid-career. Europeans had to be encouraged to make career changes, get retrained and facilitate mobility through tangible measures, he said, noting that this view was shared by his counterparts. On Friday, the ministers discussed geographical mobility and helping the disadvantaged and unemployed find work. On geographical mobility, they agreed on the need for progress in the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. Commissioner Vladimir Spidla argued the geographical mobility also required better coordination of social security systems and portability of rights for workers changing country. On the temporary restrictions in some Member States on the free circulation of workers from countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2006, Necas said that after May 2009, countries wishing to continue to apply restrictions would have to provide proof and justifications to the European Commission. He added that the Czech Presidency had the backing of Member States and the Commission in its attempts to reach a compromise with the European Parliament on the working time directive. He said the Czech Presidency would try to define a mandate that would allow it to negotiate with the European Parliament. (O.L. trans fl)