Informal Employment Council maps out agenda for French Presidency

An informal meeting of the Employment and Social Policy Council on 8 July 2000 in Paris set the social priorities for the French EU Presidency of the second half of 2000. It focuses on the European Commission's recently-issued social policy agenda, making progress on the national information and consultation draft Directive and combating poverty and exclusion.

The informal meeting of the Employment and Social Policy Council which took place in Paris on 8 July 2000 was the first Council meeting under the French Presidency of the EU. The French labour and social affairs Minister, Martine Aubry, who chaired the meeting, stated: "The fact that the French Presidency is beginning with an informal meeting of the social affairs and employment Ministers is evidence of the priority accorded by the French Presidency to strengthening the European social model."

The meeting was attended not only by government ministers but also by representatives of the European social partners – the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and the European Association of Craft and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) for private sector employers, the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) for public sector companies, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and representatives of the platform of European social non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In addition, the meeting was attended by Anna Diamantopoulou, Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Michel Rocard, chair of the European Parliament's Committee for Employment and Social Affairs, Seamus O'Morain, President of the European Employment Committee and Jan Olsson, chair of the Employment and Social Affairs section of the Economic and Social Committee.

New social policy agenda

The meeting discussed the European Commission's proposed new five-year social policy agenda, issued on 28 June 2000 (EU0007266F). There was broad agreement that the document struck the right balance, with the Commission noting that the agenda represented both a contribution to the forthcoming Nice European Council meeting in December 2000 and the Commission's own agenda for the medium term.

Prior to the meeting, the Presidency had prepared a discussion paper relating to the Commission's social policy agenda, noting that it needs to ensure the modernisation of the "European social model" and the concrete implementation of the political undertakings defined at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 (EU0004241F). The Presidency's discussion document asked for views from all relevant parties regarding:

• the areas of action proposed by the Commission;

• the means of achieving the Commission's aims; and

• the assessment of the implementation of the measures agreed.

The Presidency stated that it hopes to be able to present an interim report on the social policy agenda to the Employment and Social Policy Council on 16-17 October 2000. This report should reflect not only the views of the social partners but also those of relevant European institutions, such as the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and other Councils of Ministers. It is hoped that a final report will be presented to the Employment and Social Policy Council on 27-28 November 2000 and that this will be referred for adoption at the Nice European Council in December 2000.

The Presidency's aims in this area were welcomed by the Council, and Ms Aubry said: "The adoption of a European social agenda responds to a central objective: according increased coherence and visibility for the European Union's action in the field of social affairs. In effect, we need to devote the same energy to building social Europe as we put into establishing the single market and the euro."

National information and consultation rights

The Council also agreed with the Presidency that priority should be given to the question of the draft Directive on informing and consulting workers at national level, which was first issued by the Commission in November 1998 (EU9812135F). This issue has never been formally discussed in Council (EU9911211F) but the French Presidency is keen to begin formal negotiations as soon as possible.

Employers' representatives stated that they regretted the priority accorded to the question of national information and consultation rights by the French Presidency. The general secretary of UNICE, Dirk Hudig, claimed that the implementation of such measures would "create additional bureaucracy and will not encourage small and medium-sized companies to take on more staff". Meanwhile, ETUC stressed its commitment to proposals relating to strengthening worker information and consultation rights and their participation in the company.

Ms Diamantopoulou called on the social partners to work towards a compromise in this contentious area so that an in-depth discussion could be held at the Employment and Social Policy Council in October.

Combating social exclusion

The Council also considered the Presidency's aims of establishing objectives to combat poverty and social exclusion by drawing together the experience of national policies in these areas. The Presidency wishes Council members to reflect on three particular areas:

• ensuring that social security systems provide adequate resources for people to live with human dignity;

• developing approaches to prevent exclusion in policy areas such as employment, housing, health, education and training and well as exclusion within companies; and

• establishing means of providing people in situations of exclusion with the means to express themselves with regard to their situation and the policies developed to support them.

Social partner reaction

The general secretary of ETUC, Emilio Gabaglio, welcomed the discussion at the Council meeting and said: "This informal Council was among the most interesting, the most concrete, the most useful and the most effective. It demonstrated a clear commitment by Minister Martine Aubry and the Commissioner for Employment Anna Diamantopoulou to play very active roles and show that France wants to make [social issues] a defining element of its Presidency."

However, Mr Gabaglio also raised concerns over the nature of the social policy agenda, stating that while he recognised that competitiveness and economic performance are related to social rights, social policy should not be seen solely from an economic perspective. He also stated that the definition of social standards should continue to be made through legislation where appropriate.

Dirk Hudig of UNICE also welcomed the informal Council and described the Commission's social agenda as "a very ambitious document". While employers are said to support the Commission's aims, Mr Hudig stated that UNICE would like to have seen more "explicit aims in terms of the protection of health and worker safety in their place of work and in the training and education of workers". Mr Hudig also called for the social partners to seek ways to better integrate women into the workplace through flexible working and reconciling work and family pressures.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the European social NGO platform welcomed the debates and reiterated their commitment to "fighting against social exclusion and guaranteeing access for all to fundamental rights".

Commentary

It has been clear for some time that the French Presidency would set ambitious social policy goals (EU0006254N) and now it is taking concrete steps to achieve them. The objectives of elaborating a five-year social policy agenda, as well as establishing policies to combat exclusion, have united the social partners and the wide-ranging consultation which is due to take place over the coming months will provide all the relevant actors with an opportunity to contribute to the establishment of a framework for social policy action for the coming years.

However, the aim of progressing the proposal on national information and consultation of workers is certain to be contentious given the opposing views held by employers and unions, as well as possibility of the UK government continuing to try to obstruct its adoption (UK9811162N). Nevertheless, the French Presidency will be placing pressure on the social partners to achieve a compromise in this area before the October Employment and Social Policy Council meeting. Ultimately, the Presidency is hopeful that under its aegis a breakthrough will be achieved in this high-profile area of social policy before the end of 2000. (Neil Bentley, IRS)