Conclusies Informele Raad over flexibiliteit op arbeidsmarkten (en)

In January 2006, employment and social affairs ministers met in Villach, Austria, for an informal employment and social affairs Council. The Council discussed flexibility and security, and also debated how to strengthen the social dimension of the EU.

The Austrian Presidency of the Council of Ministers staged an informal employment and social affairs Council on 19-21 January 2006. The meeting was attended by EU employment ministers, social partners and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

One of the main points of emphasis was 'flexicurity' , which attempts to combine employers need for labour market flexibility with employees need for job security and social protection.

The meeting was addressed by EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla, who emphasised the potential benefits of flexicurity for all. He stated that flexicurity is based on protection of people rather than protection of jobs, that Europe needs security and greater flexibility, and that flexicurity is based on cohesion of the whole social system. He emphasised that this last point reflects the importance of the roles of the social partners, of social protection, of employment policies and of the state.

Ministers also agreed that the social dimension of the EU needed to be strengthened if the confidence of citizens in Europe was to be rebuilt. They also agreed that they would work on issues such as social inclusion, equality of opportunity and the involvement of all local, regional and national players, lobbies and civil society. Commissioner Spidla noted: 'Europe s objectives in the social area are the elimination of poverty and social exclusion, laying the foundations of an adequate and acceptable pensions system . . . and to provide the conditions for long-term healthcare' .

The afternoon session of the informal Council was devoted to the social dimension of the revised Lisbon strategy, in the framework of a recent European Commission Communication on the open method of coordination for EU social protection and inclusion policies. In the conclusions for this session, ministers agreed that streamlined open coordination procedures in the areas of social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care may contribute to growth and employment and may also contribute to advancing social protection and social cohesion at European and national level.

Commissioner Spidla welcomed the streamlining of the open method of coordination and also stated that in-depth analysis of social and employment policies is needed, as well as increased public awareness of these issues.

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