MEMO/08/367
Brussels, 6 June 2008
Employment, Social Policy, Health and
Consumer Affairs Council, 9-10 June 2008, Luxembourg
The Employment,Social Policy, Health and Consumer
Affairs Council will meet in Luxembourg on 9 and 10 June. Employment and
Social affairs will be discussed on 9 June under the presidency of Ms Marjeta
Cotman, Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. The European
Commission will be represented by Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for
Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Two longstanding directives
– Working Time and Temporary Agency Workers – are on the agenda for
political agreement by Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs. The health
points will be taken on 10 June with the Council being chaired by Ms Zofija
Mazej Kukovič, Slovenian Minister for Health. The Commission
will be represented by Commissioner Vassiliou.
The main points on the Employment agenda on Monday 9th June
are:
1. Working Time Directive
The Slovenian Presidency has put forward a new compromise text in order to
reach political agreement to amend the existing directive on Working Time
(2003/88/EC). The directive has been on ice since November 2006 and many Member
States are in breach of the legislation as currently interpreted by the European
Court of Justice (Simap/Jaeger ruling). According to these rulings, on-call time
must be counted as working time. If Member States do not come to an agreement it
is the duty of the Commission to open infringement procedures. The second
important issue concerns the opt-out from the 48 hour working week which has
been the main stumbling block. The current proposal would significantly improve
protection for workers who sign an opt-out.
2. Directive on Working Conditions for Temporary Agency Workers
8 million workers in the EU are temporary agency workers and numbers are
increasing. In March 2002 the European Commission adopted a proposal to create a
level playing field for temporary agency workers across the EU. The proposal
seeks to combine business flexibility and workers' mobility, on the one hand,
and more security for workers without thwarting the development of temporary
agency work, on the other hand.
Following an agreement between social partners in the UK, the Slovenian
Presidency has decided to put forward a new compromise text in order to reach
political agreement on the directive. The new text would recognise the equal
treatment of agency workers with permanent employees from day one, with the
possibility to derogate through collective agreements and through agreements
between social partners.
3. Council to adopt several sets of conclusions
- Commission Recommendation on enhanced administrative cooperation in the
context of the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of
services
- A Jobs and Skills Initiative: Skills, jobs and youth - Anticipating and
matching labour market needs, with special emphasis on youth
- In the framework of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for action
- Indicators in respect of the Girl Child
- Women in political decision-making
- Elimination of gender stereotypes in society
The main points
on the Health agenda on Tuesday 10th June are:
1. Reducing the burden of cancer
The Council is expected to hold a debate and to adopt Conclusions on cancer.
The Slovenian Presidency made European cancer prevention and control policies a
priority with a European Conference "The Burden of Cancer -How can it be
reduced" on 7 and 8 February 2008 in Brdo, Slovenia. The Commission will provide
a scientific report on the implementation of the Council Recommendation on
cancer screening.
2. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
The Council is expected to hold a policy debate and to adopt conclusions on
antimicrobial resistance. The starting point for these Council Conclusions is
the Council Recommendation 2002/77 on the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in
human medicine. These actions have an impact on AMR surveillance, on monitoring
of antimicrobial use and on awareness campaigns both for human and animal
health.
3. Implementation of the EU Health Strategy
The Council is expected to hold a debate and adopt Council Conclusions on a
cooperation mechanism between the Commission and the Council in order to
implement the EU Health Strategy. The 'mechanism' is expected to be embodied by
an existing Council group, the Health Working Party, whose mandate will be
upgraded for this purpose.
4. Information to patients on medicinal products
The Council is expected to debate and adopt Conclusions on the Commission's
Communication on " the report on current practice with regard to provision of
information to patients on medicinal products" of December 2007.
5. Novel foods
The Slovenian Presidency is expected to submit a progress report on the state
of play of the Council discussions regarding the Commission's proposal for "A
Regulation on Novel Foods" of 15 January 2008.
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