§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the outcome of the Employment and Social Affairs Council held in Brussels on 13 March; and if he will make a statement. [114906]
§ Ms JowellI represented the UK at the Employment and Social Affairs Council and the Standing Committee on Employment held in Brussels on 13 March.
The Presidency summarised preparations for the Lisbon Summit on 23–24 March which will focus on four themes: consolidation of the Luxembourg Process, modernising social protection, co-ordinating mechanisms for tackling social exclusion and dovetailing the Cardiff, Luxembourg and Cologne Processes.
The UK urged the Summit to focus on concrete outcomes and cautioned against setting EU level growth targets. The Presidency's strategic goals on the quality and quantity of employment and its concentration on social exclusion and lifelong learning were welcomed. The UK also called for measures to improve work/life balance and to promote investment in human resources, in particular through a European standard for investing in people and the further development of a European on-line learning and jobs bank.
As part of its contribution towards the Lisbon preparations, the Commission introduced its package of Communications on mainstreaming employment, combating social exclusion and social trends in Europe. The Commission called on the Summit to make a commitment to full employment and to adopt quantified commitments to increased economic activity, and decreased unemployment and poverty.
435WThe Presidency reported on progress in the negotiations on the Commission's package of measures to tackle discrimination under Article 13 of the Treaty. The Presidency aims to achieve political consensus on these proposals during its term in office.