Trevor Sargent
Question:82 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which her Department has developed its role during this country’s Presidency of the European Union. [17733/04]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2004
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Written answers
During the Irish Presidency, my focus, and that of my Department has been to advance the EU social policy agenda generally and, in particular, to make progress in realising the ten-year goals set by the Lisbon European Council in 2000.
One of the goals of the Lisbon agenda is to achieve greater social cohesion. Based on an analysis of the second round national action plans on social inclusion 2003-2005, a report on employment, social protection/inclusion and gender equality was adopted by the Council of Ministers in March and reflected in a key messages paper to the Spring European Council.
The four key social protection/inclusion messages relate to strengthening social inclusion, making work pay, which was the subject of a special ministerial meeting in January, ensuring that pension systems support longer working lives, and ensuring accessibility, sustainability and quality of health care and long-term care for the elderly.
One of the priorities of the Irish Presidency was to secure agreement with the European Parliament on the reform and simplification of regulation 1408/71 which co-ordinates the social security rights of migrant workers, and members of their families, when they move within the Union. I am very pleased that, following acceptance by the European Parliament and the Council the new regulation was adopted on 29 April last. In addition, I hosted a special conference in Budapest on 7 and 8 May, in co-operation with the Hungarian Government and the Commission which addressed both the future implications of the new simplified regulation for all 25 states and the particular immediate challenges facing new member states in implementing the existing regulation.
The issue of migration has also been a priority for my Department during the Irish Presidency. On 1 and 2 April we hosted a conference on the theme of "Reconciling Mobility and Social Inclusion". The main focus of the conference was on the role of social and employment policies in achieving social inclusion for people moving within the EU and it concluded that clear and comprehensive strategies are required at national level to promote employment and social inclusion of immigrants.
In the area of family policy and to mark the 10th anniversary of the UN International Year of the Family, the Irish Presidency hosted a major international conference on the theme "Families, Change and Social Policy in Europe". One of the key conclusions was that addressing the challenges posed by the profound changes affecting families requires at national level a strategic, integrated approach involving employment, social protection and possibly other policy areas, such as education, health and housing.
The Irish Presidency also progressed an initiative taken by previous Presidencies by hosting a third meeting of people experiencing poverty in Brussels at the end of May. One of the key messages to emerge was that effective participation by people experiencing poverty is taking place and is being developed across all member states to help make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and achieve greater social cohesion.
At the last meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, I updated my EU colleagues on the key conclusions of the various conferences. In my view the successful outcome of this ambitious programme represents a significant contribution to advancing the EU social policy agenda.