J. Milquet: "Employment at centre of future European economic governance"
![](http://www.eutrio.be/files/bveu/imagecache/node_main_img/media/CDN/photos/MILQUET.jpg "J. Milquet: "Employment at centre of future European economic governance"")
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment, Joëlle Milquet, recalled that the future governance of the Europe 2020 Strategy is one of the major work areas of the Belgian Presidency, and that the role of the European and national social partners has not yet received the attention that it deserves in the discussions under way.
On the occasion of the conference co-organised by the Central Council for the Economy, the National Labour Council and the European Economic and Social Committee, Joëlle Milquet was keen to emphasise the importance of the role of the social partners and of civil society within the framework of the EU 2020 governance. She declared that the different recommendations of the social discussants agree with the priorities of the Presidency, which consist in defending the crucial importance of the role of the European Employment Strategy in future economic governance.
For Joëlle Milquet, employment is and must be the key element of the future Europe 2020 Strategy and the policies for growth and competitiveness, and not a fringe element of this Strategy, or a simple consequence of economic growth.
I. Employment as a factor of growth and a key macroeconomic and budgetary factor in the short and medium term
To Joëlle Milquet, employment policies, more than ever, must be at the core of the macroeconomic, growth and competitiveness policies of the European Union, so that coming out of the crisis is faster and more sustainable.
II. Employment must be at the core of the future governance of the EU 2020 Strategy and of economic governance
According to the Minister for Employment, the place reserved for the governance of employment in the current draft of the economic governance of the EU 2020 Strategy is too weak and the role of its actors too imprecise.
Joëlle Milquet stressed that employment and labour market policies must have a place in the surveillance mechanisms currently under discussion, and that this surveillance must be performed by the ministers in charge of emploment.
Joëlle Milquet also said that she was worried to see the European Employment Strategy weakened, even though it is an essential coordination mechanism at European level, alongside the coordination of economic policies.
In fact, the European Employment Strategy rests on quantified targets, guidelines for employment, but also on recommendations addressed to the Member States concerning their job markets. At a time when unemployment has reached 10% in the European Union it was extremely worrying to do without the coordination of employment policies stipulated by the European Treaties.
III. The indispensable role of the social partners in the future economic governance of the 2020 Strategy
Belgiumwill organise a tripartite social Summit prior to the European Council of the end of the month of October which will probably adopt important conclusions on economic governance. In Joëlle Milquet’s opinion, it is important on this occasion that the social partners express themselves on economic governance and on the role that they want to play within the framework of next six months in Europe.
Finally, the Minister for Employment declared that she is prepared to meet with the authors of the declaration adopted by the Presidents and Secretaries General of the national Economic and Social Councils, the Economic and Social Committee, as well as the European social partners, in order to consider the inclusion of arrangements relating to the role of the social spokespeople in the conclusions on governance that will be presented to the Council of Ministers of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) of 21 October this year.
