Several Ministers from the Luxembourg Government will be presiding the 'Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs' (EPSCO) Council being held on Monday 7 December 2015 in Brussels.

Lydia Mutsch, Minister for Equal Opportunities, will chair the panel on gender equality, during which Member States will first and foremost be invited to vote on the compromise text prepared by the Presidency regarding the proposed Directive of the European Parliament and Council on a better male/female balance among non-executive directors of listed companies and related measures.

This will be followed by an adoption of conclusions concerning equality of woman and men in political, economic and decision making. The European Ministers of Equal Opportunities will conclude their deliberations with an exchange of views on the action the Commission intends to take for the gender equality strategy 2010-2015, which will be coming to an end.

Minister of Family and Integration, Corinne Cahen, will chair the preceding working breakfast on the theme of a better balance between work and personal life for those with dependent children or persons.

At the Council, Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Nicolas Schmit, and Minister of Social Security, Romain Schneider, will participate in the European semester 2016 debate, before discussing the issue of improving performance in the social domain and employment sector within the existing governance framework.

Ministers are invited to adopt conclusions on the promotion of the social economy as a key driver of economic and social development in Europe as well as conclusions on social governance for an inclusive Europe. Political agreement amongst the Ministers is expected with regards to recommendations for the integration of the long-term unemployed in the labour market.

The day before the Council, Minister Schmit will be presiding a meeting of the group of social and social-democratic ministers of the 'EPSCO' Council in his capacity as chairman thereof. The meeting will be dedicates to themes on the Council's agenda.

In her second role as Minister of Health, Lydia Mutsch will be chairing the 'Health' section of the EPSCO Council, where Ministers will aim to adopt conclusions on several current issues, including a new Community strategy to address the social, economic and health consequences resulting from alcohol abuse, focusing on initiatives with a cross-border dimension; access to clinically effective and financially viable personalised medicine, based on policies developed with the patient in mind; supporting people with dementia, improving policies and care practices, with particular emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis and proper post-diagnostic support; and preparedness and response plans for serious cross-border threats to health, drawing on public health lessons from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to look at strengthening food safety in the European Union in the event of any future epidemics.

The EPSCO Council generally assembles ministers with a view to developing solutions and actions to increase employment levels and improve living and working conditions.

 

Photo by DT