COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest news

 

Today, the Eurogroup endorsed a recommendation by euro area member states to the Council. Ministers agreed with the European Commission's and the Eur… Press material Thursday 16 June 2022   ● Eurogroup   16/06/2022 17:01 | Press release | Euro area member states recommend that Croatia become the 20th member of the euro area   Today, the Eurogroup endorsed a recommendation by euro area member states to the Council. Ministers agreed with the European Commission's and the European Central Bank's positive assessment of Croatia's fulfilment of convergence criteria. The recommendation proposes that Croatia should introduce the euro on 1 January 2023. This is the first step in a process by which the EU Council adopts legal acts that will enable Croatia to become a member of the euro area and to benefit from using our common currency, the euro, as of next year. "I am very pleased to announce that the Eurogroup agreed today that Croatia fulfils all the necessary conditions to adopt the euro. This is a crucial step on Croatia’s path to become the 20th member of our euro area and a strong signal for European integration. I want to pay particular tribute to the Croatian government for its commitment and hard work to achieve this result over the past few years, in particularly challenging circumstances." Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup

Meetings Thursday 16 June 2022

● Council of the EU   16/06/2022 20:12 | MEETING | Main results - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social), 16 June 2022   The presidency informed about the state of play as regards the draft law on improving working conditions in platform work. Ministers adopted recommendations on individual learning accounts and on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality. They also held policy debates on the European Semester, on national objectives to reach the European Social Rights Action Plan headline targets and on employment of people with disabilities.

Council of the EU
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social), 16 June 2022

Main results
Platform work

The presidency presented a progress report on the state of play as regards the proposed directive on improving working conditions in platform work.

The goal of the proposed law is that people working through digital labour platforms are granted the legal employment status that corresponds to their actual work arrangements – and thus enjoy the labour rights and social benefits they are entitled to.

Today, over 28 million people in the EU work through digital labour platforms. The vast majority of these people are genuinely self-employed but 5.5 million are – according to European Commission estimates – incorrectly classified as self-employed.Proposal for a directive on improving working conditions in platform work (progress report)


Infographic - Who does what in the European SemesterSee full infographic
European Semester

Ministers held a policy debate on the European Semester and in particular on its governance and the country-specific recommendations (CSRs) for 2022. The outcome of this discussion, and similar debates of the ministers of economy and finance as well as European affairs, will feed into the discussion of the 23-24 June European Council meeting. The European Semester is a cycle of economic, fiscal, labour and social policy coordination within the EU.

The Council also approved the employment and social policy aspects of these CSRs and endorsed the opinion of the Employment Committee (EMCO) and Social Protection Committee (SPC) of these CSRs for 2022 and their assessments of the implementation of the recommendations of 2019 and 2020.European Semester (background information)


Infographic - Advancing a stronger Social EuropeSee full infographic
Porto Social Summit: one year later

Ministers had an exchange of views on member states’ national objectives to complement the headline targets of the European Social Rights Action Plan (78% of population in employment in 2030, 60% of adult population participating in training every year and 15 million people less at risk of poverty or social exclusion).Porto Social Summit (meeting page)
Social rights in the EU (background information)
Individual learning accounts

The Council adopted a recommendation on individual learning accounts. Its aim is to help working-age adults to upgrade and adapt their skills in the context of the green and digital transitions and the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan target of achieving at least 60% of all adults participating in training every year by 2030.

The Council is recommending that Member States consider establishing individual learning accounts as a means for enabling individuals to participate in labour-market relevant training and – if they decide to establish individual learning accounts – to put in place an enabling framework.Council recommendation on individual learning accounts
Fair transition towards climate neutrality

In order to soften the social and employment challenges of the European Green Deal, a set of policy initiatives to make the EU climate neutral in 2050, the Council adopted a recommendation which aims to ensure that the Union’s transition towards a climate-neutral and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050 is fair and leaves nobody behind.

The recommendation contains guidance to provide support to quality employment and a safe working environment. It also puts a focus on education and training measures and for instance invites member states to integrate the employment and social aspects of the green transition in the development and implementation of relevant national strategies.Council recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality
Social imbalances procedure

The EMCO and SPC chairs informed delegations about their opinion on a proposal from Belgian and Spain – made at the EPSCO Council in October 2021 – to strengthen the social dimension of the European Semester through the introduction of a Social Imbalances Procedure.


Infographic - Disability in the EU: facts and figuresSee full infographic
Employment of people with disabilities

Ministers debated how to increase the employment rate of persons with disabilities. It is estimated that one fifth of the EU population (currently around 87 million people) have some form of disability. People with disabilities still face multiple barriers when it comes to accessing their rights. For example, in 2021 only 50.8% of people with disabilities were in employment compared to 75% of people without disabilities. 37.6% of people with disabilities were inactive compared to 17.6% of people without disabilities.

In this context, ministers discussed how to remove obstacles to the hiring of people with disabilities and to act through effective measures to promote their professional integration.


Other business

The presidency informed delegations about the state of play of the draft directive on adequate minimum wages and the political deal, reached on 6 June, between member states and European Parliament on a common position.Minimum wages: Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement on new EU law (press release)

It also briefed ministers about the draft directive on equal pay for equal work between women and men on which the Council adopted its general approach on 6 December.

As regards the proposal of a directive on gender balance on company boards the presidency informed about the political deal between member states and European Parliament which it reached on 7 June.Council and European Parliament agree to improve gender balance on company boards (press release)

The presidency also informed about the directive on equal treatment and the revision of the regulations on the coordination of social security systems.

The presidency informed ministers about the report of the European Institute for Gender Equality regarding combatting psychological violence and coercive control as well as its presidency conferences.

Delegations also received information from the Commission about the EU’s initiatives in the employment and social affairs areas in reaction to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of its LGBTIQ strategy.

The Czech delegation informed delegations about the work programme for its presidency of the Council of the EU (which will start on 1 July).


Meeting information

Meeting n°3882
Luxembourg
16 June 2022
09:30
Preparatory documentsProvisional agenda
List of A items, non-legislative activities
Background brief
Outcome documentsList of participants

To strengthen lifelong learning, the Council is recommending member states to adopt a European approach to micro-credentials and in particular to app… Press material Thursday 16 June 2022   ● Council of the EU   16/06/2022 16:48 | Press release | Council recommends European approach to micro-credentials   To strengthen lifelong learning, the Council is recommending member states to adopt a European approach to micro-credentials and in particular to apply a common EU definition, EU standards and key principles for the design and issuance of micro-credentials. Micro-credentials document the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning. The goal is that member states, stakeholders and providers (from education and training institutions to private companies) develop and use micro-credentials in a coherent way. This new tool would allow EU citizens, facing significant demographic, societal and economic changes, to take advantage of personalised learning and career pathways. Among other things the recommendation contains the following points: A number of standard elements to describe a micro-credential. These include: the learning outcomes, workload needed to achieve the learning outcomes and the type of assessment Guidance to develop an ecosystem for micro-credentials for instance by promoting the development of micro-credentials designed and agreed by employers’ and workers’ representatives and by applying and developing quality assurance mechanisms. Press material Thursday 16 June 2022   ● Council of the EU   16/06/2022 16:45 | Press release | Council recommendation on individual learning accounts to boost training of working-age adults   Employment and social affairs ministers, at today’s Council meeting, adopted a recommendation to support people’s training needs and thus increase the number of people engaged in each year. The Council is recommending that member states consider establishing individual learning accounts as a means for enabling and empowering individuals to participate in labour-market relevant training and facilitate their access to or retention in employment. And it recommends - if member states decide to establish individual learning accounts - to put in place an enabling framework. Individual learning accounts would provide working-age people with a budget for training to improve their skills and employability throughout their lives, regardless of whether they are actually employed or not. At the Porto Social Summit, which took place in May 2021, EU leaders welcomed an EU-level target of 60% of all adults taking part in training each year by 2030. This recommendation aims to help member states meet this target. Press material Thursday 16 June 2022   ● Council of the EU   16/06/2022 16:43 | Press release | Council takes action to ensure green transition is fair and inclusive   The Council today adopted a recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality. Member states are invited to adopt measures which address the employment and social aspects of climate, energy and environmental policies. The recommendation encourages certain actions to support people most affected by the green transition for instance by stimulating the creation of quality jobs and facilitating access to safe working conditions protecting health and safety in the context of this green transition. It also puts a focus on education and training measures and invites member states to integrate the employment and social aspects of the green transition in the development and implementation of relevant national strategies. Other proposals concentrate on fairness of tax-benefit and social protection systems and on ensuring access to affordable essential services and housing for people and households most affected by the green transition.