Informele Raad van Ministers spreekt over werkgelegenheid en sociale zaken (en)
A three-day meeting of EU ministers that will last from 22 January until Saturday, 24 January, was opened today by Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Petr Necas.
At the beginning of the meeting minister Necas informed his colleagues regarding the main points on the agenda of the meeting with the representatives of social partners and the Social Platform that took place on Wednesday, 21 January, in Brussels.
The informal meeting of the EPSCO Council is attended by European Commissioner Vladimír Spidla and Ministers of twenty Member States, for instance Olaf Scholz from Germany, Viera Tomanová from Slovakia, Celestino Corbacho Chaves from Spain, Sven Otto Littorin and Kristina Husmark-Pehrson from Sweden or Pat McFadden and Lord McKenzie from Luton. The seven remaining states are represented predominantly by deputy ministers. The meeting is also attended by other high representatives of the European Commission, Chairman of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Union Jan Andersson, chairmen of the Social Protection Council and Employment Committee and the Economic and Social Committee, representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation, Business Europe and the Permanent Representation in Brussels.
List of ministers attending the meeting: Belgium: Joelle Milquet Bulgaria: Emiliya Maslarova Czech Republic: Petr Necas Denmark: Claus Frederiksen Ireland: Billy Kelleher Cyprus: Sotiroula Charalambus Lithuania: Rimantas Dagys Latvia: Iveta Purne Luxembourg: Francois Biltgen Hungary: Agnes Vargha Malta: John Dalli Germany: Olaf Scholz The Netherlands: Piet Hein Donner Portugal: José Vieire da Silva Austria: Rudolf Hundstorfer Roumania: Marian Sarbu Slovakia: Viera Tomanová (Miloslav Hetteš on Friday) Spain: Celestino Corbacho Chaves Sweden: Sven Otto Littorin, Cristina Husmark-Pehrson The United Kingdom: Pat McFadden, Lord McKenzie of Luton Heads of delegations of the remaining Member States: Estonia: Carita Rammus, Attaché for Labour Affairs Finland: Markku Wallin, Deputy Minister France: Agnes Leclerc, Director Italy: Pasquale Viespoli, Deputy Minister Poland: Radoslaw Mleczko, Deputy Minister Greece: Sophia Kalantzakoz, Deputy Minister Slovenia: Anja Kopac Mrak, State Secretary
Other participants: European Commission: Vladimír Å pidla, Commissioner General Secretariat of the Council: Carsten Pillath, General Director Social Protection Committee: Aurelio Fernandez, President Employment Committee: Emilio Gabaglio, President Economic and Social Committee: Leila Kurki, President European Parliament: Jan Andersson, President European Trade Union: Maria Helena Dos Santos André, General Secretary Confederation Business Europe: Jorgen Ronnest, President DG Employment: Nikolaus van der Pas, Director General Permanent Representation: Miroslav Fuchs, Councellor