Main results of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

EU News 103/2013

Council of the European Union
6794/13
(OR. en)
PROVISIONAL VERSION
PRESSE 71
PR CO 12
3226th Council meeting
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
Brussels, 28 February 2013

The Council reached political agreement on a recommendation addressed to the member states to establish "youth guarantee" schemes that aim to ensure that all young people under the age of 25 who lose their job or do not find work after leaving education quickly receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship. They should receive such an offer within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. The "youth guarantee" is intended to provide for a smooth transition between school and work, to support labour market integration and to make sure that no young person is left out. The measure is a key part of the response to the worsening youth employment conditions across Europe.

Furthermore, the Council held a debate on the employment and social policy aspects of the 2013 European Semester exercise, with a view to contributing to the broader discussions that the European Council will have at its meeting on 14 and 15 March. In the framework of this debate, the EPSCO Council

– adopted conclusions providing political guidance for employment and social policies on the basis of the Annual Growth Survey for 2013 and the Joint Employment Report;

– adopted the Joint Employment Report;

– agreed that the guidelines for the employment policies of the member states, adopted in 2010, will be maintained for 2013;

– endorsed key messages on the social situation and trends to watch in the Union, drafted by the EU's Social Protection Committee.

Source and additional information:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/135746.pdf

EPSCO Council (Employment and Social Affairs) 28/02/2013 From left to right: Mr Laszlo ANDOR, Member of the European Commission; Ms. Joan BURTON, Irish Minister for Social Protection; Mr Richard BRUTON, Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Photo Credit "The Council of the European Union", URL

• Tweet