Luxembourg Advocates People-Centred Policies, Regulatory Simplification at EPSCO

On Monday 1 December 2025, Luxembourg’s Minister of Health and Social Security, Martine Deprez, attended the “Employment and Social Policies” session of the European Union’s (EU) EPSCO Council in Brussels, Belgium.

As reported by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security, the minister advocated for people-centred policies and called for greater regulatory simplification during the meeting.

According to the ministry, a growing number of people find themselves in difficult and vulnerable situations, meaning that effective and efficient social protection systems that meet individual needs are required. At the same time, these systems must remain financially sustainable.

Minister Deprez therefore called for simplification at the European level for all stakeholders, without undermining the foundations of strong social protection. “To this end, digitalisation combined with a revision of the rules is needed to facilitate access to benefits and reduce the burden on our citizens,” the minister said.

Minister Deprez also stressed that these efforts must include businesses, which face “increasingly heavy and complex rules”, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “The ‘think small first’ principle must also guide our actions at the regulatory level of the European Union, so that we can take advantage of emerging opportunities while supporting inclusive economic development,” she added.

During her intervention, Minister Deprez called on the European Commission and the Council to take into account the potential administrative burden linked to the revision of Regulation (EU) 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems. She emphasised that this revision, particularly regarding applicable legislation and unemployment benefits, must truly simplify life for citizens, businesses and administrations. She also recalled the specific situation of Luxembourg, with its large number of cross-border workers and the need to adapt coordination rules to the specific challenges of the Greater Region and cross-border areas of the EU.

During the session dedicated to the European Semester, the minister called for “maintaining a strong social dimension in the Semester process by ensuring that social objectives are treated on an equal footing with economic and budgetary priorities.” The European Commission’s autumn package of the European Semester, published on Tuesday 25 November 2025, has direct implications for social affairs at both EU level and in Luxembourg.

On the sidelines of the EPSCO meeting, Ministre Deprez also exchanged views with the Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Mariëlle Paul, and the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Economy and Agriculture, David Clarinval, on the ongoing revision of Regulation 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems.

EO