Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

Thursday 22nd March 2018 Written Statements

[The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)]

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council met on 15 March 2018 in Brussels. I represented the United Kingdom.

Under an agenda item on the European semester, the Council adopted the joint employment report (JER) and Council conclusions on the annual growth survey (AGS).

The Council received a presentation on the 2018 country reports on the implementation of 2017 country specific recommendations.

The Council endorsed the opinion of the Employment Committee (EMCO) on the latest biennial assessment of member states’ progress against the non-binding Council recommendation of 2013 on a youth guarantee for tackling youth unemployment.

The Council adopted a recommendation for a European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships.

The Council then conducted policy debates on the future of social Europe post 2020 and closing the gender pay gap: contributing to the achievement of the goals of the European social pillar.

Under any other business, the Commission presented information on its awaited social fairness package, the Commission and the President presented information on the tripartite social summit, and the chairs of the EMCO and the Social Protection Committee (SPC) provided information on their respective 2018 work programmes.

[HCWS575]