HC Deb 08 June 1998 vol 313 cc450-1W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Education and Social Affairs Council of Ministers meeting on 4 June. [43020]

Mr. Andrew Smith

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry and I chaired the joint Council of Education and Social Affairs Ministers on 3–4 June. My hon. Friend the Scottish Office Minister of State for Education and Industry and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales also attended.

The Council discussed National Employment Action Plans which all Member States have provided in accordance with the process agreed at last November's Luxembourg 'Jobs Summit', and completed its assessment of the Plans in preparation for the European Council at Cardiff on 15–16 June.

The Council reached political agreement on a Regulation extending Regulation 1408/71 (social security for migrant workers) to civil servants in special schemes and adopted a package of annual amendments to Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72. The Council also reached political agreement on a Directive safeguarding the supplementary (i.e. occupational and private) pension rights of migrant workers, subject to the lifting of a Danish Parliamentary scrutiny reserve and a Portuguese linguistic reserve.

The Council adopted a Recommendation on a Parking Card for people with disabilities.

The Council reached political agreement on the text of a common position on the promotion of European pathways for work-linked training (Europass).

The Council reached a common position on a Directive amending the Acquired Rights Directive, subject to the lifting of a German Parliamentary scrutiny reserve. The Council made further progress on the employee involvement aspects of the proposed European Company Statute.

The Council heard presentations from the Presidency on a pilot project to promote teacher mobility across the EU and from the Commission on its proposals for a new generation of programmes on education, training and youth. A copy of the Council minutes will be placed in the Library when it becomes available. The Commission also made presentations on its Communication on developing the social dialogue at Community level; its Communications on a new Social Action Programme (1998–2000); and on the proposed ILO Declaration on Fundamental Rights.