Informele Raad Werkgelegenheid bespreekt hervorming sociale zekerheid en flexibiliteit (en)
Anna Diamantopoulou, Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, will attend the informal meeting of Employment Ministers under Irish Presidency, hosted by Frank Fahey, Minister of Labour and Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs. The two main themes of the meeting will be Making Work Pay and Investment in Human Capital.
Programme
On 15 January, the EU troika (Irish, Dutch and Luxembourg Ministers and Commissioner Diamantopoulou) will meet with representatives of the European social partners employers' and workers' organisations - for a discussion on adaptability and change. The troika will also meet with social partners and representatives of the Social Platform NGOs and civil society organisations to discuss the topic for the main discussions, Making Work Pay.
On 16 January, ministers from all EU and candidate countries will discuss 'Making Work pay: exploring the interaction between social protection and work' on the basis of the recent Commission Communication and a discussion document from the Irish Presidency. Over lunch, ministers will consider the important topic of investment in human capital.
Making Work Pay
The Commission last week adopted a Communication calling on Member States to speed up the modernisation of social protection systems, to help encourage people into work. (see IP/04/26). Reforms are being put in place, but need to be more ambitious, particularly if the EU is to meeting the employment targets for 2010 that it set for itself at the Lisbon summit. It is clear that no single policy instruments will suffice to make work attractive: what is needed is the right combination of policies: taxation, social security, income dependent benefit schemes, wages, coupled with non-financial incentives such as childcare, job search assistance, training and health care.
Investment in Human Capital
Minister Fahey will open the discussion by drawing on the Irish experience of the importance of investment in human capital. The debate should focus on the role and future of the European Social Fund and the importance of investing in human capital in the new Member States.
Adaptability to Change
Adaptability refers to the capacity of the EU economy to anticipate, trigger and absorb change. The European Employment Task Force headed by Wim Kok highlighted the promotion of the flexibility of enterprises and employees as a key ingredient for economic success. At the same time it insisted on this flexibility (through modern work organisation and a diversity of contractual and working arrangements) to be balanced by security (the capacity to remain and progress in the labour market). European companies are experiencing a period of intensive restructuring and this can have considerable effects on jobs and local economies. The meeting with social partners will provide a useful opportunity to highlight the role that all parties can play in ensuring that Europe can rise effectively to these challenges.