Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 1999

Contents:

Europe into the New Millenium
Introduction
Promoting employment
Developing working life, social dialogue and occupational health and safety
Co-ordination of social security of migrant workers
Promotion of equality between women and men
Promotion of social inclusion and combating discrimination
Debate about the interaction between social protection and economy
The framework of health-related activities in the new millenium
Health in all actions of the European Union
Prevention of violence against children, young persons and women
The international dimension of European activities

Europe into the New Millenium

The turn of the millennium makes us stop to consider the past and the future. Within the European Union, too, it is necessary to ponder over the direction one wants to take at the beginning of the new millennium. Our future work should be guided by the citizens' viewpoint more clearly than it has been in the past. Employment, social welfare and health are the most important issues for the every day life of people. As far as our own sphere of activities is concerned, we should find ways to meet the challenges posed by globalisation, the enlargement of the Union, and the rise of new technology.

The implementation of the Amsterdam Treaty must be effective and prompt in order for employment to be promoted. In future, employment has to be taken into consideration in all the activities of the Union, for instance in the coordination of economic policy and the structural funds policy. The preparation and implementation of the employment strategy are to be carried out on a broad basis together with the European social partners.

The Amsterdam Treaty offers the Union new opportunities to promote European wellbeing and social policy. Economic integration at the EU level is already far-advanced in the current phase of economic and monetary union and in the coordination of economic policy. There is a need for discussion on the effects of economic integration on employment and social policies. We want to give a more definite meaning to the social dimension of the Union.

The provisions on labour law and occupational health and safety as well as public health action are good examples of how EU-level activities have a practical bearing on the lives of citizens. We stress the need to pay special attention to the health impact of all decision-making in the EU.

Much has already been done to promote equality between women and men. Yet, the strengthening of the mainstreaming principle and the achievement of equality in practice still constitute a major challenge.

As ministers responsible for labour, social, health and equality policies, we are convinced that results in these fields can best be achieved through coordinated and goal-directed cooperation - on a nation-wide basis, in Europe and globally.

(Signed)
Sinikka Mönkäre, Minister of Labour

Maija Perho, Minister of Social Affairs and Health

Eva Biaudet, Minister of Health and Social Services  

Introduction

The Finnish Presidency will be characterised by the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty. The Treaty will offer opportunities for new openings to strengthen the social dimension, to increase the effectiveness of the employment strategy and to ensure health protection in the EU. Intensive cooperation with the European Parliament will, along with the new Treaty, be more important than ever for European decision-making.

The preparation of the Employment Guidelines for the year 2000 will be one of the main priorities during the Finnish Presidency. Finland will pay special attention to challenges related to the ageing of the labour force and to the mainstreaming of gender equality in national employment action plans as well as to the minimum standards in the field of labour and social affairs.

The Employment Guidelines process will be adapted to the provisions on employment included in the Amsterdam Treaty. During the Finnish Presidency, the aim is to start work on the setting up of a new employment committee in accordance with Article 130 of the Amsterdam Treaty to assist the Council in the employment issues. Finland also aims to begin dealing with certain other Commission proposals to be submitted on the basis of the Amsterdam Treaty.

Finland wants to continue the discussion at the EU-level on the development of social protection. A European debate especially on the interaction between the economy and social protection is needed.

The first reactions to the health challenges of the new millennium were already prepared during the preceding Presidencies. Discussion on the development of EU activities on public health will continue during the Finnish Presidency. The Amsterdam Treaty will bring an increasingly strict obligation to take into account the impact of policy decisions on the health of citizens.

The enlargement negotiations continuing during the Finnish Presidency will also emphasise labour, social and health policy issues. At the same time, discussion is needed on how future enlargement will affect the European Union’s own activities.

In a globalising world, EU-level labour, social and health policies are pursued increasingly in relation to their international framework.

Promoting employment

In the field of employment Finland’s most important task in the Labour and Social Affairs Council is to prepare the Employment Guidelines for the year 2000 for the meeting of the European Council in Helsinki. The Employment Guidelines for the year 2000, and the 1999 Joint Employment Report of the Commission and Council will be prepared for the first time in compliance with the provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty. Finland also aims to adapt the employment strategy to the Amsterdam Treaty provisions by taking up for consideration, as far as possible, the setting up of an employment committee in accordance with Article 130 of the Treaty.

The informal Labour and Social Affairs Council to be held in Finland will focus on challenges related to the ageing of the labour force. Furthermore, Finland will arrange a ministerial conference on the mainstreaming of gender equality in the national employment action plans implementing the EU's Employment Guidelines.

The development of the quality of public employment services will be a central theme during the Presidency. In this context, Finland will organise a network conference for the employment offices. In addition to the central administration, representatives of local public employment offices will also be invited.

During the Finnish Presidency, programmes for objectives for the new structural funds period 2000 - 2006 of the European Social Fund will be prepared. The new general regulation concerning the Structural Funds and the ESF regulation strengthen and clarify the connection between the ESF and other structural funds, on the one hand, and the close connection between the employment strategy and the national employment action plans, on the other. These issues will be taken into consideration when preparing the Employment Guidelines for the year 2000.

As far as the minimum standards of working life are concerned, Finland aims to continue the handling of pending directives on labour law on the basis of the work of the German Presidency. The directives address, among other things, the organisation of workers' involvement in the European Company, and working time provisions.

Finland also underlines the employment effects of the reorganisation of work and the possibilities to facilitate the reconciliation of family and working life by flexible working time arrangements. Finland will organise a conference on working time policy. The aim is to discuss whether flexible solutions can be developed through the reorganisation of working time and whether these solutions will benefit the employer as well as the worker.

Finland considers it important to develop social dialogue at the Community level. The standing Committee on Employment will meet to discuss the Employment Guidelines for the year 2000 and the joint report on employment.

Finland aims to further the minimum standards on occupational health and safety. This means e.g. that the first part of the directive on physical agents (vibration), which was taken up for consideration during the German Presidency, will be subject to further work. Also the directive on explosive atmospheres will be discussed during the Finnish Presidency. Likewise, Finland may take up for consideration the proposal given at the end of 1998 on the amendment of the directive on work equipment. In case the Commission’s proposal will be ready in time, the amendment of the directive on asbestos will also be dealt with.

Co-ordination of social security of migrant workers

In the area of the co-ordination of social security for migrant workers within the Community Finland aims to concentrate during its Presidency on the proposal for reforming the Regulation No. 1408/71 with a view to both simplifying and revising the present provisions. The actual consideration of this extensive total reform will continue under the Finnish Presidency in the Council’s Social Questions Working Group.

Finland intends to arrange at the beginning of September a seminar dealing with this fundamental reform, and it is hoped that it will contribute to clarifying the views of the Commission and Member States on the reform. The seminar will probably also give hints of the suitable ways of consideration of the theme of timetables and of the special fields that could best be taken up first.

Further issue that can be taken up in the area of co-ordination of social security is the proposal for amending the Regulation concerning the extension to citizens of third countries.

Promotion of equality between women and men

The aim of the Ministerial Conference on Equal Opportunities and Employment Policies to be held in Finland is to promote gender equality in national employment and labour market policies. This theme will be approached from the point of view of the implementation of the employment guidelines. The discussion will focus especially on how the Member States have succeeded in reaching the goals adopted in the European Councils in Cardiff and Vienna concerning the mainstreaming of equality in the national employment action plans that are drawn up for the implementation of the employment guidelines.

In the field of equality the key issues during the Finnish Presidency include the annual monitoring of the Platform for Action of the United Nations’ World Conference on Women in Beijing. The practice of reporting on the monitoring is intended to be systematised. The goal is that henceforth the monitoring systems will be developed in a practically oriented way by handling each year one or several theme areas. The area scheduled to be discussed under the Finnish Presidency is women’s participation in decision-making.

Evaluation of the implementation of the Fourth Community Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women will prepare the ground for a possible new programme.

Promotion of social inclusion and combating discrimination

The Treaty of Amsterdam opens new possibilities for promoting social inclusion and combating discrimination. Finland considers it important to realise these possibilities so that European societies are built to take account of the needs of all population groups. Under Article 13 of the Treaty the Community can initiate measures to combat discrimination on the basis of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation. The Presidency looks forward to the Commission’s initiatives in these areas.

On account of the United Nations’ Year for Older Persons 1999 Finland will pay special attention to the effects of the ageing of the population, both in the Informal Labour and Social Affairs Council and at the Conference on the Independent Living of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities to be arranged in October. Finland emphasises the promotion of people's functional capacity throughout their lives.

It has to be ensured, too, that continuous attention is paid to the needs of children and young people.

Finland also underlines the activities at Community level to integrate refugees into society and therefore intends to start work towards an action programme on this theme.

Debate about the interaction between social protection and economy

Finland wishes to continue the European debate on developing social protection, started on the basis of the Commission Communication (1997) on modernising and improving social protection in the EU. The debate about the interaction between economy and social protection must be deepened in the situation where economic integration has progressed to the EMU and to the coordination of economic policies. The financing of social protection will be a big challenge for the beginning of the new millennium. Social protection must be seen as a productive factor and a part of a well-functioning economy. The theme will be dealt with at the Conference on Financing Social Protection in Europe in November. This conference will deal with the European way of combining sustainable economic growth, high level of employment and social protection.

The framework for health-related activities in the new millennium

The European Union’s response to the health challenges of the new millennium has been sought under several Presidencies by preparing the basis for a new public health programme of the Community. The new programme is expected to guide the Community’s activities in the field for almost a decade. The assessment of the ongoing public health programmes will enable learning from the past.

Community measures have to be targeted at the most important public health problems so as to promote citizens’ health and functional capacity at all stages of their lengthening life span. The promotion of functional capacity and quality of life also requires focusing attention on mental health, since mental health is a central element of public health. Finland is going to arrange a Presidency Conference on Promotion of Mental Health and Social Inclusion in Tampere in October 1999.

Particular attention must be paid to the health of young people when trying to solve problems related to tobacco products and alcohol.

Prevention of tobacco smoking has been one of the most important tasks of the health policy of the EU. Important steps have been taken in this area. The future report by the Commission on tobacco offers an opportunity for continued action.

Health in all actions of the European Union

The Treaty of Amsterdam entails clearer and stricter obligations to protect human health in all Community policies and actions. An effort will be made to put this obligation into practice under Finland's Presidency. The Commission is also expected to give a report on how health has been taken into consideration in Community policies.

The discussion on the development of the Council’s work will be initiated under Finland’s Presidency. The previous Presidencies have already begun a discussion in the Health Council on how community institutions could scrutinise their organisations and working methods. Dealing with the initiatives concerning pharmaceuticals in the Council can be taken up as an example. The related acts under consideration include the Directive on the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use and an amendment of the Directive on medical devices.

Sectors important from the viewpoint of health are for instance agricultural, environmental and transport policies. The Community Framework Programme for Research supports the development of information systems related to health. Internal market provisions regulate many products with health effects. Also the EU action to combat drugs presupposes a reinforcement of the public health point of view. The Union’s drug strategy for 2000 - 2004 is being prepared.

Prevention of violence against children, young persons and women

Violence against children, young persons and women is a multidimensional social, juridical and public health problem in whose prevention European co-operation can support national efforts. The EU institutions have shown a strong political will by raising the problem of violence on the European agenda and progressing rapidly in drafting the Daphne programme dealing with the issue. Finland finds it important that the Commission can continue to support the prevention of violence and sexual abuse of children, young persons and women.

During its Presidency Finland will arrange an expert conference as part of the EU campaign to prevent violence against women.

The international dimension of European activities

Finland emphasises that the development of EU-level labour, social and health policies does not happen in a vacuum. Preparation for the enlargement of the EU will constitute a timely challenge. In a globalising world of cross-border challenges, it is all the more important that the EU participate in promoting global social development. The coordination of the work of different actors in Europe does, on the other hand, provide an opportunity for influencing in a coordinated and strengthened way.

Outside developments are reflected in the European Union. At the northern borders of the EU, there is a deep social and health divide. The Commission’s interim report, which was received by the European Council in Vienna and concerns the Northern dimension of EU policies, presents operational measures to reduce this gap. In the further preparations, it is important to consider the development of the labour, social and health sectors in an area whose point of contact with the Union will be stronger along with the future enlargement.

The discussion concerning global social development proceeded vividly in the outstanding UN conferences during the 1990’s. The follow-up of the UN Summit on Social Development and of the 4th World Conference for Women in Beijing will be carried forward during the Finnish Presidency. The ILO’s role in promoting workers’ rights is central with regard to global development.

As for the development of global and European health policy, it is increasingly important to support the cooperation between the WHO and the EU. The environmental and health conference arranged just before the Finnish Presidency is a good example of cross-sectoral cooperation between the actors for the benefit of health in Europe. 

Main events in Finland during the Finnish EU presidency

Other events