The Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers took place between 31 January and 2 February 2008 at Brdo in Slovenia. This meeting was preceded by the Troika Meeting of the three Ministers from Slovenia, France and the Czech Republic with representatives of the Social Platform. The Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs followed.
Meeting with Social Platform
“It is only by investing in people and their potential that Europe will have the opportunity for growth," emphasised the Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Marjeta Cotman in her opening speech at the Troïka meeting with the Social Platform. The Social Platform was represented by a delegation which included AGE Director, Anne-Sophie Parent. During the meeting, Fintan Farrell, Social Platform President, welcomed the final set of flexicurity principles which reflect most of the Social Platform’s recommendations and are much more balanced than the initial proposal. Fintan stressed however the need to translate these principles into action to tackle the prevailing trends identified by the Slovene Presidency of globalisation, technological progress and demographic change. Fintan acknowledged the progress that was made under the Portuguese Presidency which led to the adoption of this more balanced set of flexicurity principles. He also emphasised the importance of including trends such as rising inequalities, increasing diversity in European societies, migration, increased life expectancy, changing family patterns and an increasing role for the third sector in any policy analysis. Minister Cotman pointed out that "we wish to pursue a common goal, namely to assure every individual in the European Union the possibility and opportunity for a dignified high-quality life and work. And it is only by investing in people and their potential that Europe will have the opportunity for growth. I myself believe that the concept of flexicurity makes this possible. Even more, it can strengthen the ties between the European Union and its citizens." Ms Cotman added: “The people who require special measures in enforcing the common principles of flexicurity in practice are the elderly. Active ageing is the key approach to encourage older workers, especially women workers, to stay in the labour market longer, to undergo training and to upgrade their knowledge and skills, as well as to take measures providing for the improvement of working conditions.”
AGE voice heard at the Troika
Referring to the flexicurity principle n° 2 which calls for adequate and sustainable social protection systems and to principle n° 4 which calls for a responsive and inclusive labour market, Anne-Sophie Parent stressed the importance of adopting a life course approach to enable everyone to enjoy the necessary “security” to take an active part in a flexible labour market. “The active inclusion strategy should be an integral part of the flexicurity approach”, she said “and this includes a minimum income for all.” Ms Parent highlighted the importance of removing barriers to employment and mobility and called on Member States to adopt the directive on the portability of supplementary pensions rights. “The initial proposal put forward by the Commission was much more ambitious and aimed at removing the barriers to workers’ mobility. The final draft on the table is much weaker but it is still a step in the right direction. Member States should support the Slovene Presidency’s efforts to bring this dossier to a successful conclusion,” observed Ms Parent. She concluded by calling for a more positive approach to promoting an age friendly workplace. According to Ms Parent, when implementing the flexicurity principles, Member States should develop employment and social policies based on the concept of solidarity between the generations. “This is the only way Member States will be able to achieve a fair and sustainable society where everyone is empowered to participate fully and to contribute to their community’s prosperity. This is why intergenerational solidarity should become a horizontal objective of the renewed Social Agenda.” she added.
AGE also circulated a document with key messages addressed to the Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers.
AGE’s call for an approach based on intergenerational solidarity is strongly supported by the Social Protection Committee (a high level group of Member States representatives).
Informal Meeting decides to mainstream intergenerational solidarity in all four components of flexicurity
At the Informal Meeting on Friday the Social Platform and social partners discussed the principles of flexicurity adopted at the Council of the European Union in December 2007. It was agreed that the next step is to create comprehensive guidelines for the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy and to transpose the common principles of flexicurity into the National Reform Programmes with a coordinated set of policies. Comprehensive flexicurity arrangements are necessary for improving the operation of labour markets and supporting efficient transitions so as to remove employment obstacles and strengthen social inclusion. Coordination between the economic, social and educational policies is therefore essential. The promotion of an inclusive society and of the population’s awareness of and trust in the future of the Lisbon objectives is equally important.
In their conclusions, the EU Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs agreed that flexibility and security are required throughout a person's lifetime at every stage of life. Europe needs flexicurity in order to successfully confront the challenges of the twenty-first century such as demographic change, accelerated technological advancement, the need for heightened competitiveness and globalisation.
In developing comprehensive flexicurity arrangements, special measures for particular groups should be considered. Flexible labour market arrangements have a considerable impact on certain groups such as parents with children, migrants, the young, older workers and, especially, people with disabilities. It is therefore vital to ensure we have a true ‘Europe of equal opportunities for all’. This should result in strengthening the fundamental rights of workers, stronger policies of social inclusion and effective strategies for active integration.
Active ageing strategies should be brought into line with flexicurity measures. Older workers need to be encouraged to stay in the labour market longer. Lifelong learning should be developed and promoted, health and safety at work ensured, and workplaces adapted to the needs of individual target groups.
In the conclusions, the Slovene Presidency stressed that “Flexibility and security are required throughout the life cycle – at every stage of life. In this context, intergenerational solidarity should be considered through all four components of flexicurity. This is an important development which is particularly welcomed by AGE and the European Youth Forum.
Further information:
Press release on Informal meeting
Conclusions of the Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers
AGE key messages to the informal meeting
Mise à jour le Jeudi, 22 Avril 2010 14:49
