News

From January to June 2013, Ireland will take up the hat of Presidency of the European Union. On January 23, they presented the social points of their six months working programme at the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

Social Platform highlights a few points from the Irish Presidency's programme that are of relevance for our different pillars of work.

Fundamental Rights and Equality

• Asylum and Migration:'securing agreement' on the Seasonal Workers Directive; 'ensure that the situation regarding illegal migration in Europe is fully debated within the Council' and complete the discussions on the Asylum and Migration Fund Regulation
• Rights of citizens:the European Year of Citizens and 'secure the adoption' of the Rights and Citizenship Programme (which includes among others violence against women, non-discrimination and gender equality
• Equality: 'continue to work' on the proposed Equal-treatment Directive (Article 19): Conference in Dublin on 'Women's Economic Engagement and the Europe 2020 Agenda'; 'take forward work' on the proposed gender quotas Directive; Council Conclusions in June on 'Women as decision-makers in the media' based on the UN Beijing Platform for Action indicators

See also our previous news assessing the 18 months programme of the trio Presidency's in the field of fundamental rights and equality.

Social Inclusion

• Social Investment Package:The Presidency has not mentioned in its work programme whether they will address concretely the issue of growing poverty and social exclusion, but it is said that a close examination will be ensured of the upcoming Social Investment Package. This Commission's proposal is announced to come out in early 2013 and is expected to deal with issues such as child well-being, social inclusion and social protection. The Commission and the Presidency are planning to organise a high level conference on the Package.
• Aid for the most deprived: Ireland also wants to progress work on the EU funding programme for Aid for the Most Deprived, for which a Commission proposalwas presented at the end of October last year.
• Housing and homelessness: A roundtable of ministers with responsibility for homelessness will be held to discuss the issue of providing decent housing for everyone and the possibility for future cooperation.

Employment

• Unemployment: Addressing unemployment through economic growth and job creation is high on the Presidency's agenda. It is key for Ireland to tackle in particular youth unemployment and therefore to push for EPSCO Council Conclusions in February on a Youth Guarantee. The aim of this measure is to ensure that young people who are not working or studying receive an offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship. This will be also the main focus of the informal meeting of the informal EPSCO meeting at the beginning of next month. At the occasion of this meeting Social Platform will meet with the Presidency and the Commission to discuss the issues of "Social exclusion and the labour market: what policies to improve the current situation".
• Family reconciliation: the Irish Presidency has in bilateral meetings with stakeholders promised that they will make an effort to push for the maternity leave directive but this commitment is not reflected in the work programme – this activity is not even mentioned. In the 18-months programme the trio of Presidencies conclude that they 'may' continue its work on the amendment of the directive. For more information about state-of-play on the Maternity leave Directive read our related news on it.

More information: EP EMPL Committee speeches of Ministers Bruton (Jobs, Enterprises and Innovation), Burton (Social Protection) and Cannon (Education and Skills)

Social dimension of the internal market

• Single Market Act I and II: The Presidency will work to complete the dossiers that remain open under the Single Market Act I and to make progress on the priority actions in the Single Market Act II. For us it means: proposals aimed at strengthening social entrepreneurship, cohesion and consumer confidence (upcoming directive on bank accounts). Particular attention will be paid to the digital single market (this includes web accessibility) and to the governance of the single market.
• Public procurement: the Presidency has the ambition to secure agreement with the European Parliament and the Council on the reform of the public procurement directives, which are an important element of the Europe 2020 strategy and one of the key actions outlined in the Single Market Act I.
• State aid modernisation: for us the relevant measure is the revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation, a regulation which exempts some aid from the obligation to notify to the Commission.