Voorzitters EU-landen en Van Rompuy bespreken strategie voor creëren banen (en)

Celestino Corbacho (centre) took part in a joint press conference on Thursday accompanied by his Belgian and Hungarian counterparts, Joëlle Milquet and László Herczog.

Spain's Minister of Employment, Celestino Corbacho, speaking after his meeting with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said the Trio of Presidencies (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) are in firm agreement about setting job creation as a key objective for the EU.

Celestino Corbacho appeared on Thursday at a joint press conference with his Belgian and Hungarian counterparts, Joelle Milquet and Laszlo Herczog, after having previously presented Van Rompuy with the conclusions of the informal employment and social policy meeting held in Barcelona, during which various aspects of the 2020 Strategy had been discussed.

Corbacho said this strategy "must include short-term measures" as well as others covering the longer period up until 2020, "bearing in mind that efforts must be focused on employment, Europe's biggest problem”.

He said the “central idea” of these actions was to help Europe overcome the crisis, combat job destruction; create jobs by means of economic policies making this possible; and maintain economic development stimulus packages in Europe.

Speaking on this issue, Corbacho said that the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus packages and aid would be “negative” for job creation, adding that “we must help the economy in order to create employment, not just to solve the problems in the financial sector”.

The Belgian Minister of Employment, Joelle Milquet, spoke out in favour of keeping the current incentives in place until "net employment" had been achieved.

On job creation, Milquet said it was important to push forward with objectives such as vocational training and investment in human capital, adding that social policy must not only focus on poverty, but also on social cohesion.

Joelle Milquet said that, “in a few months it may be useful to hold a special council meeting devoted to employment”, saying this could possibly be held during the second half of this year or in 2011, adding “I'm not yet sure”.