22-23 januari 2009: Informele Raad Werkgelegenheid en de sociale Zaken over mobiliteit en Werktijd richtlijn (en)

The Informal Council meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs will take place in Luhacovice, Czech Republic, on 22-23 January under the Presidency of Petr Necas, Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. The European Commission will be represented by Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. The Informal Council will discuss the issue of workers' mobility and have a working lunch to exchange views on the Working Time Directive. The meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the Troika with the Social Partners and the European Social Platform on 21 January in Brussels.

• 1. 

  Mobility

Ministers will discuss how to further promote workers' mobility. Mobility is one of the key priorities of the Czech Presidency in the area of employment and social affairs and relates to the first "E" of its three priorities "Economy, Energy and External relations". Discussions will focus on the following three themes:

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  Geographical mobility (free movement of workers): The Ministers will discuss how to raise awareness of the possibilities and advantages offered by mobility. They will exchange good practice on eliminating obstacles to mobility such as linguistic barriers and cross-border recognition of qualifications. The Czech Presidency will also propose Council conclusions to be agreed by June on the 2008 Communication from the Commission on the "impact of free movement of workers in the context of EU enlargement" (MEMO/08/718).
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  Professional mobility: Ministers will exchange views on how to increase the efficiency of job markets and the quality of human resources. The Czech Presidency proposes to focus discussions on the practical implementation of the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs as well as the common flexicurity principles. The Czech Presidency intends to prepare Council conclusions on the Communication from the Commission "New Skills for New Jobs: anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs" (MEMO/08/791).
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  Mobility towards employment (active inclusion): Ministers will debate policies to integrate workers from disadvantaged groups into the labour market, including incentives to enter the labour market, income support schemes and high-quality, easily accessible services, including social services. The Czech Presidency has suggested developing a European voluntary framework on quality standards for social services based on on-going work between Member States and the Commission.
• 2. 

  Working Time Directive

On 17 December 2008, the Parliament rejected the Common Position adopted by the Council in June of the same year. Important differences remain between the positions of the Parliament and the Council on key issues; notably, the opt-out and on-call time at the workplace.. Ministers will prepare the talks which will follow in the next few months with the European Parliament over lunch. The Commission intends to act as an 'honest broker' and to support the Czech Presidency in reaching an agreement on this proposal before the end of the current legislature.

• 3. 

  Meeting with Social Partners

The Informal Council will be preceded by a meeting of the Labour Ministers of the Social Troika with European Social Partners and the European Social Platform in Brussels on 21 January 2009. Commissioner Vladimír Špidla will represent the Commission and Mr Jan Andersson MEP, Chairman of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will attend on behalf of the European Parliament. The meeting will be focused on the three strands of mobility.