ESPHCA Council, 6 March (Hansard, 24 March 2003)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Malcolm Wicks) represented the UK at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (ESPHCA) Council in Brussels on 6 March 2003, together with the Minister for Employment Relations and the Regions, my honourable friend the Member for Hull West and Hessle, Alan Johnson.

The main business of this Council was a discussion on the proposed directive on working conditions for temporary workers and the preparation of the spring European Council, to take place on 21 March.

On the former, following lunchtime discussion, the Presidency concluded that the dossier was not ready for agreement at this point. The UK declared its readiness to reach agreement on a directive, but one with considerably more flexibility than the current draft, and joined the consensus for aiming for political agreement in June.

On the latter, the Council adopted without amendment the Joint Employment Report 2002 and its contribution to the spring Council. Key messages on the future of the Employment Strategy. In a public debate member states were in broad agreement on the priorities for the revised employment guidelines outlined in the paper: the guidelines should be fewer in number, focused on outputs rather than inputs and linked closely to the Lisbon employment rate targets.

The debate also revealed broad support for the idea of an employment task force, as proposed by the UK, France and Germany. The Council agreed that the task force should be a one-off, independent analysis of the measures required to improve Europe's employment performance in the short term. The task force should complement the revised employment strategy, without creating any new processes.

Council approved joint reports from the Commission and the Council on adequate and sustainable pensions and on the future of healthcare and care for the elderly. It noted the opinion of the Social Protection Committee on the Commission's synthesis report and agreed a key issues paper on social protection to be sent to the spring Council.

The Commission reassured the Council that its forthcoming communication on streamlining of social protection would acknowledge that different methods and time-scales were appropriate for different areas of work. It would also respect subsidiarity.

The Council noted the work programmes for 2003 of the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee.

The Council adopted a decision establishing a tripartite social summit for growth and employment, noting the declaration from Denmark and the U K that the agreement was on the understanding that it did not set a precedent for the use of Article 202 as a treaty base for such decisions.

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The Council heard without comment presentations by the Commission on initiatives following the Commission action plan for skills and mobility: European health insurance card, legal basis of the European Employment Services (EURES) and free movement of workers.

Following an orientation debate, the Council agreed on a joint Presidency and Commission proposal for the Council to send an annual report on gender mainstreaming to the spring Council. The Commission agreed with the UK that this would not involve the establishment of a new process.

The Commission reported on progress under the European Year of People with Disabilities and outlined its forthcoming report on the social situation in Europe focusing on health.

No consumer affairs items were on the agenda.

No votes were taken at this Council.