Brussels, 05/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU employment and social affairs ministers will be meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 8 June 2009, chaired by Czech labour and social affairs minister Petr Simerka and Czech human rights and national minorities minister Michael Kocab. Commissioner Vladimir Spidla will represent the European Commission. The Council meeting will start at 9 hrs with an informal breakfast to prepare for the European Council of 18 and 19 June 2009. The results of this discussion will be included in the conclusions document of the European Summit, along with the conclusions document of the summit for employment held with the European social partners and the European Commission in Prague on 7 May 2009, explained Jana Reinisova, the deputy Czech permanent representative to the EU, at a press briefing. The ministers will also discuss maternity leave, equal treatment of freelancers, equal treatment for people irrespective of their religion or other beliefs, disability, age and sexual orientation, and coordinating national social security systems. The agenda:
Preparing for the June European Council. The ministers will adopt key messages for the June European Council and will discuss the current economic and social situation, characterised by a sharp rise in unemployment in the EU. The debate will cover questions suggested by the Czech Presidency: 1) The Member States have launched significant programmes aimed at maintaining existing jobs. Is there scope for further measures to maintain employment? How do you monitor the effectiveness of the measures taken? What shall we do if the crisis persists? 2) How can we improve the inclusiveness of the labour markets, reduce their segmentation, motivate people to enter the labour market and promote transitions to and on the labour market? 3) What can be done to promote the creation of new jobs? What measures contribute to the improvement of the entrepreneurial environment and the creation of new employment opportunities in your countries? How can we encourage companies and individuals to invest in skills?
The Council will adopt a conclusion document on flexicurity in times of crisis and on social security in general.
Possible agreements in principle. The ministers will be invited to reach agreement in principle on two European Commission proposals - 1) guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, keeping the 2008 guidelines for 2009 without changing anything, explained Jana Reinisova; and 2) a draft regulation to ensure that third country nationals legally resident in the EU in a cross-border situation are subject to the same rules coordinating social security entitlements as EU citizens, extending the rules of Regulation 883/2004. Two points remain to be settled here, namely the principle of equal treatment for third country nationals and the option of exporting pensions to outside the EU. The European Parliament issued its opinion on this matter on 9 July 2008.
Progress on draft directives. The ministers will take note of a Czech Presidency report on a draft directive to improve the protection of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding, amending Directive 92/85. Under the Czech Presidency, the Council's preparatory bodies discussed the possibility of counting other family-related leave offered to the mother as maternity leave, the obligatory period of maternity leave, maternity benefit during maternity leave, the prohibition of dismissal and protection against discrimination. Progress has been made in the workgroups, explained Rana Reinisova, but further negotiations are still required. She said the debate would continue under the Swedish Presidency of the EU in the second half of the year.
On the basis of a progress report, the Czech Presidency will brief the Council on the state of play on the draft directive on implementing equal treatment between periods irrespective or religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The deputy Permanent Representative said the Czech Presidency had focussed on the disabled. This is a progress report and work will continue under the Swedish Presidency, she added.
Based on another Czech Presidency report, the ministers will take note of progress achieved on a draft directive to improve the social protection of self-employed workers and “assisting spouses”. The debate will continue under the Swedish Presidency.
Conclusions documents. The Council will adopt a conclusions document on “Equal opportunities for men and women: active and dignified ageing” and another conclusions document on inclusion of the Roma. Jana Reinisova explained that the Roma question is still being examined by several Member States. She stressed the need for a joined-up approach to ensure the Roma can be involved in formulating policies to encourage full inclusion of the Roma. The Spanish Presidency of the EU (in the first half of 2010) will be holding the second European Roma Summit on 8 April 2010.