Weber, Tina

An informal Labour and Social Affairs Council of Ministers meeting was held under the Finnish Presidency in Oulu, Finland from 8 to 10 July 1999, with the participation of the European-level social partners and the European Parliament. In line with the priorities of Finnish labour market policy in recent years (FI9708125F [1]), the Finnish government - which took over the EU Presidency in July 1999 - was keen to shift the focus of labour market policy away from youth unemployment towards the problems facing older workers. Ministers expressed concern at the lack of older workers in the labour market. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-social-policies/finland-launches-a-five-year-national-programme-for-older-workers

The new President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi- chosen by the EU Member States and approved by the European Parliament- announced his new 19-member team of Commissioners on 9 July 1999, by common accord with the Member States. The first meeting of the proposed new-look Commission took place on 16 July. Few of the sitting Commissioners survived the shake-out following the allegations of irregularities which had beset the outgoing administration. On announcing his team, Mr Prodi said that: "when I accepted the job of Commission President, I promised to launch a new era of change in the Commission. The Commission needs it. The European Parliament and Member States have asked for it. The European public has urged us to carry it out. This is what I intend to deliver, starting from today.".

On 14 July 1999, the European Commission adopted a Communication entitled A concerted strategy for modernising social protection [1] (COM(99)347 final). The Communication emphasises the key role played by social protection systems in supporting public health and well-being and in redistributing wealth. It is argued that, without social security transfers, nearly 40% of EU households would be living in relative poverty (compared with the actual rate of 17%). Spending on social protection accounts for an average of 28.5% of GDP. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/social/com99-347/com99-347_en.pdf

In the run-up to the European Council meeting held in Cologne on 3-4 June 1999, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reinforced its support for the German Presidency's proposal for an "employment pact" (EU9905174N [1]). It argued that an effective strategy for reducing unemployment was necessary to strengthen the European Union's credibility with workers and the public. In a statement on the eve of the summit [2], ETUC welcomed the inclusion of the employment chapter [3] in the Amsterdam Treaty, which came into force on 1 May 1999 (EU9905175N [4]), and the process of formulating and implementing Employment Guidelines [5] (EU9810130F [6]), but argued that in itself this was insufficient. It strongly argued that labour market policy measures had to be effectively combined with growth-oriented economic policy measures: "active employment and labour market policies coupled to essential economic reforms can help create the jobs Europe needs only if they are part of a strong growth scenario than we have today." [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/german-presidency-presents-draft-employment-pact [2] http://www.etuc.org/press/Highlight/pr14e.cfm [3] http://ue.eu.int/Amsterdam/en/traiteco/en/conso2/cons225.htm [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/amsterdam-treaty-enters-into-force [5] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/empl&esf/empl99/guide_en.htm [6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/draft-employment-guidelines-for-1999-emphasise-continuity

In April 1999, the German EU Presidency issued Member States with a draft version of a European employment pact entitled /European employment pact - Closer cooperation to boost employment and economic reforms in Europe/. The idea of such a pact (EU9902156N [1]) to reinforce the European employment strategy (EU9905171F [2]) had been endorsed by the December 1998 Vienna European Council (EU9812141N [3]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/uncertainty-over-definition-of-european-employment-pact [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/communication-emphasises-need-to-coordinate-economic-and-employment-policies [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/vienna-summit-reaffirms-employment-as-priority

After having been ratified by all Member States, the Amsterdam Treaty [1] finally entered into force on 1 May 1999. The Treaty (EU9707135F [2]) was formally signed in October 1997 and the final ratification instruments were deposited by France and Greece in March 1999. [1] http://ue.eu.int/Amsterdam/en/traiteco/en1.htm [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/amsterdam-treaty-brings-small-advances-for-employment-and-social-policy

A European conference on gender balance in decision-making was held in Paris on 15-17 April 1999, organised with the support of the European Commission by a number of French ministries. The event focused on balanced participation in political and professional life and the role of NGO s and social partners in promoting a gender balance. At the closing session, a declaration on women in decision-making was signed by ministers from 13 EU Member States. The declaration aims to ensure balanced participation by women and men and recommends that European institutions, governments and political parties take measures both in the electoral field and in the appointment of members of advisory bodies. Furthermore, the French government presented an action plan defining a strategy for partnership, including changing women's image in society and steps for renewed democracy to achieve parity in participation.

At the Luxembourg"employment summit" of November 1997, the European Council endorsed a "European employment strategy" involving the coordination of Member State employment policies on the basis of commonly agreed Employment Guidelines (EU9711168F [1]), implementing the new "employment chapter" of the Amsterdam EU Treaty in advance of the Treaty coming into force. The first such Guidelines were adopted for 1998, and the process was repeated for 1999 (EU9810130F [2]). At Luxembourg and subsequent European Councils, the importance of a coordinated approach to macroeconomic development and employment creation was emphasised. The December 1998 Vienna European Council (EU9812141N [3]) also endorsed the idea of a "European employment pact" to reinforce the employment strategy (EU9902156N [4]), to be discussed at the Cologne summit in June 1999. This concept is currently being defined in more detail in discussions in Economic and Financial Affairs Council of Ministers, the Labour and Social Affairs Council of Ministers (EU9903160N [5]), the Economic Policy Committee, the Employment and Labour Market Committee, the Standing Committee on Employment and the Social Dialogue Committee. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/employment-summit-agrees-limited-package-of-measures-to-combat-unemployment [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/draft-employment-guidelines-for-1999-emphasise-continuity [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/vienna-summit-reaffirms-employment-as-priority [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/uncertainty-over-definition-of-european-employment-pact [5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/labour-and-social-affairs-council-discusses-european-employment-pact

TheEuropean Commission tabled a proposal for a Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community [1] on 11 November 1998, following the refusal by the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) to enter into European-level negotiations on the subject under the provisions of the Maastricht social policy Agreement (EU9812135F [2]). The information and consultation requirements contained in the draft Directive would apply to all undertakings with at least 50 employees, which is thought to imply a coverage of 3% of European Union enterprises, employing 58.2% of employees. The approach is to lay down minimum requirements while encouraging agreements between the social partners at the appropriate levels. The adoption of the Directive, highlighted as a priority by the German EU Presidency of the first half of 1999, will require the support of a qualified majority of Member State governments in the Council of Ministers. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/directen.pdf [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/commission-tables-draft-directive-on-national-information-and-consultation

The European Commission has always placed significant emphasis on the social dialogue between employers' organisation and trade unions, given that the development of the European Union and its policies has a significant impact on employers and employees, while at the same time depending on public approval for its legitimation. Following the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty on European Union and the annexed social policy Protocol and Agreement [1], the position of the European-level social partners has been further boosted by giving them a more powerful role in the EU's social policy decision-making process, notably allowing them to reach agreements which can take the place of legislation in some circumstances. These new powers have successfully been put into effect at the intersectoral level with the negotiation of the framework agreements on parental leave [2] (TN9801201S [3]) and part-time work [4] (EU9706131F [5]) - both of which have been implemented by Council Directives - and the January 1999 draft agreement on fixed-term contracts (EU9901147F [6]). At the sectoral level, an agreement has been reached on working time in the maritime sector (EU9802182F [7]), which is also to be implemented via a Directive (EU9901144F [8]). [1] http://www.europa.eu.int/abc/obj/treaties/en/entr8i.htm [2] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=en&numdoc=31996L0034&model=guichett [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/erm/comparative-information/the-eu-parental-leave-agreement-and-directive-implications-for-national-law-and-practice [4] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=en&numdoc=31997L0081&model=guichett [5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/social-partners-reach-framework-agreement-on-part-time-work [6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/social-partners-reach-draft-framework-agreement-on-fixed-term-contracts [7] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined-industrial-relations/social-partners-propose-draft-directive-on-working-time-in-the-european-maritime-sector [8] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/commission-proposes-directives-to-end-exclusion-of-sectors-from-working-time-directive