Presiding the EPSCO meeting by Minister Marius Budai - Luxembourg, June 13th

The Minister of Labour and Social Justice, Marius Budăi, will chair, on Thursday, 13th of June, at Luxembourg, the second formal meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council - formal section on employment and social affairs (EPSCO). It is for the third time since Romania has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union when the Romanian official chairs such an event, after the informal EPSCO meeting on 10-11 April in Bucharest and the first formal meeting which took place on March 15, in Brussels.

Thus, the ministers to be present in Luxembourg will address issues aimed at the well-functioning of the labour market, by ensuring fair working conditions and access for all workers.

The main political debate point will be the European Semester and will focus on ways to increase the effectiveness of the measures contained therein, in order to ensure effective and coordinated implementation of Country Specific Recommendations and national reforms, in order to meet the social objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

There will also be subject to approval three sets of Council conclusions on gender pay gaps, the implications of new forms of work and technological developments on workers’ health and safety, as well as the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report on the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived.

The same day will also be a ministerial working lunch on labour mobility which will address topics such as: factors which could facilitate efficient labour mobility on the EU single market and those who could promote the return of mobile workers to their home country. At the same time, in order to ensure fair mobility of workers, member states will vote to establish the seat of the future European Labour Authority.

“I confess to you that for Romania, assuming the position of Presidency of the EU Council involved an important challenge: a very short period of time at disposal to close a series of extremely important files for the social field. So, at the moment of reviewing the Romanian Presidency, I think we have achieved tangible results for European citizens”, said the Minister of Labour and Social Justice, Marius Budăi.

The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union supports the consolidation of the Single Market so that it operates on the basis of fair and transparent principles in the benefit of all Member States.