Raad Werkgelegenheid, Sociaal Beleid, Volksgezondheid en Consumentenzaken over o.a. gelijke rechten (en)

On Monday 8 June the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) will start in Luxembourg. The Czech Presidency will be represented by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, the Minister for Human Rights and the Minister of Health. Human Rights‘ Minister Kocáb will chair the part of the meeting dedicated to the equal treatment and social inclusion of excluded communities.

As far as the principle of equality and equal treatment is concerned, the participants will be briefed about the state of affairs on the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity and repealing Directive 86/613/EEC.

The Council will present its views on the proposals for the conclusions of the June European Council in the area of equal opportunities for women and men: active ageing and ageing well (“55 + Programme”) and the social inclusion of Roma.

Population ageing, gender inequalities and possible ways to overcome stereotypes and discrimination based on sex, these were the topics of European conferences that were recently held in Prague. A representative of the Ministry for Human Rights will inform the Council meeting about the agenda and conclusions of the conferences.

The meeting of deputy ministers and high officials of the EU-27 (COREPER) unanimously adopted the Council conclusions on population ageing and on preventing multiple discrimination against elderly men and women and the conclusions concerning the inclusion of Roma. This, according to Minister Kocáb, is a major step forward in the area of human rights and equal treatment at European level. “The Czech Presidency has mapped the situation as regards equal treatment of elderly women and men in the EU Member States. The Presidency proposes the adoption of conclusions that should help elderly people continue to find fulfilment in taking an active part in the labour market and society, age well and live their lives to the full”, said the Minister. He also commented on the Council conclusions on the inclusion of Roma: “We have submitted the Council Conclusions following the conference of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion, organised by the Czech Presidency and the European Commission in Prague on 24 April 2009. The EU Council will thus have an opportunity to discuss and adopt the first Common Basic Principles for Roma Inclusion”.

Contact:

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  Lejla Abbásová, Spokeswoman of the Minister for Human Rights                      
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  tel.: +420 224 002 066, mobile: +420 725 805 865 ; e-mail: abbasova.lejla@vlada.cz