§ Mr. RammellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the outcome of the Social Affairs Council held in Brussels on 1 and 2 December; and if he will make a statement. [62704]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithI attended the first session of the Social Affairs Council and I attended the joint meeting of Social Affairs Ministers and Economic and Finance Ministers, both on 1 December 1998. My hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and I attended the second session of the Social Affairs Council on 2 December.
The first session of the Social Affairs Council discussed and agreed proposals for revisions to the Employment Guidelines for 1999 and the Joint Report on Implementation of the 1998 Guidelines. The joint meeting 238W of Social Affairs Ministers and Economic and Finance Ministers adopted the Employment Guidelines for 1999 and the Joint Report on Implementation of the 1998 Guidelines, and both will now be submitted to the Vienna European Council on 11–12 December to be endorsed. The joint meeting also heard a presentation from Sir Brian Unwin, Chairman of the European Investment Bank, on the progress in implementing the programme agreed at the Luxembourg Jobs Summit for increased lending by the Bank to promote employment.
The second session of the Social Affairs Council on 2 December reached political agreement on a common position on the second amendment to the Carcinogens Directive and political agreement on a common position on a proposed Directive on Potentially Explosive Atmospheres.
The Council reached political agreement on the amendment to Regulation 1408/71 (social security for migrant workers) to extend certain elements to students.
The Council reached political agreement on the second reading of a Decision to encourage mobility between Member States for people in work-linked vocational training (Europass).
The Council was unable to reach agreement on the Worker Participation Directive element of the European Company Statute package.
The Council discussed a Presidency report on the follow up to the 1995 Beijing Women's Conference. The Council noted and endorsed the Commission's mid-term report on safety, hygiene and health at work. The Presidency reported on the November Social Dialogue Conference in Vienna. The Commission reported, without endorsement, on its three recent initiatives: on information and consultation of workers, where the social partners had failed to reach agreement; on a proposed extension of the Working Time Directive to excluded sectors; and on its Communication on work organisation.