Marjeta Cotman,

Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs:

"In Europe, we are facing challenges which demand from us prudent answers. Therefore it is even more important that the Member States upgrade our policies by mutual learning, good practices and past experiences. Our task is not only to protect rights, but also to improve them.

I believe that keeping high standards of labour legislation, an efficient social system, and encouraging social dialogue and dialogue with civil society, are an added value and a competitive advantage of the EU. The Member States have to ensure in our national measures that they are close to our citizens, that they understand them, know them. With all generations, it is necessary to promote the importance of lifelong learning and flexibility, as only like that we will cope with new requirements, brought to us by changes.

Let’s give youth a possibility to enter the labour market as soon as possible. Let’s ensure them quality employment, so that they will easier decide for family. Let’s not be frightened by ageing of the population, but rather let it be incentive for responsible actions and planning.

During Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU we will together search for answers how Europe should invest in the future of its citizens: how to implement in practice the principles of flexicurity, how to improve the situation of youth, how to fight social exclusion, how to face new relations between generations and encourage solidarity among them, how to ensure equal opportunities for all.

Presentation of good practices from Member States is for all of us an important factor in exchanging positive results and experiences. It is a way how we can learn from each other. Because only together we can achieve better results and create better future for European society.

We know that Europe in the past had a lot of prudence and courage. I know that it will have them also now."

EMPLOYMENT

During its Presidency, Slovenia will devote much of its efforts to the topics covered by the Lisbon Strategy. Preparing for the new threeyear cycle, we wish to ensure the continuity and stability of the revised Lisbon Strategy. However, it is necessary to take account of the demographic challenges and flexicurity principles and to increase the visibility of the social dimension. We believe that a balance must be struck between economic, employment and social dimension of the Lisbon Strategy to ensure the sustainable achievement of the Lisbon objectives.

Within this context, the Presidency will go on with the debate on flexicurity. Above all, we wish to focus on the implementation of common principles of fl exicurity at national level. In this respect, special attention will be placed on the position of young and elderly workers in the labour market and on the role of social partners and other actors in the process of shaping and implementing the flexicurity policies. Thus, one of the key tasks of the Member States in the following period will be to develop efficient flexicurity arrangements at national levels.

According to the Slovenian Presidency, Europe must invest in its future, therefore, we intend to pay particular attention to young people and their place in society. We wish to enhance the discussion on the promotion of the youth employment because young people, seen as the driving force of society, today face serious challenges in entering the labour market. Undoubtedly, young people are the most flexible group within the workforce; nevertheless, measures to ensure their safety and stability are required. We should join our efforts to identify measures and ways to decrease the unemployment among young people and to ensure their security and stability, and last but not least, make their decision in favour of family and reconciliation of professional, family and private life easier.

SOCIAL AFFAIRS

The new social realities of Europe result from profound changes in European societies and call for comprehensive responses at the European, national, regional and local levels. Presumably, a clearer picture of the situation will emerge from the Social Reality Stocktaking, to be concluded by the Commission in spring 2008. Dealing with social challenges will require further modernisation of the systems and structures at local, regional and national levels and will have to be reflected in the modernized Social Agenda 2005-2010 which is expected by the mid 2008.

The fight against poverty, namely the poverty of children and youth, and the fight against social exclusion are key responses to current social challenges and the topics to be given major attention during the Slovenian Presidency. Further steps towards achieving the EU objective are required in order to significantly reduce poverty and social exclusion by 2010. The priority tasks of the Slovenian Presidency will include the preparation of a new cycle of the open method of coordination in the areas of social protection and social inclusion as well as further reinforcement of positive interactions between the Lisbon Agenda and common social objectives of the Member States.

Special attention will be paid to inclusion and participation of people facing poverty and of those most distant from the labour market as well as to developing active inclusion strategies. Within these efforts, the modernisation of social services of general interest leading to improved accessibility and quality is one of the important building blocks. The Slovenian Presidency believes that efforts must be made to establish a harmonised European framework for social services that would consider and respect national traditions.

DEMOGRAPHY

Slovenian presidency will continue the European discussion on demographic challenges, because achievement of Lisbon objectives to a great extent depends on how they are managed. We believe that society can successfully face challenges of the 21st century only with mutual symbiosis and respect of all generations. We will therefore devote special attention to new relationships between generations and to development of new forms of solidarity. We will also deal with longterm care as one of the more important aspects of intergenerational solidarity and cooperation, and at that focus on improving quality and on accessibility of long-term care.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Creating conditions, which provide equal opportunities for all, is our common goal. Slovenian Presidency will endeavour to ensure durability of results of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, which marked year 2007. We will follow the commitment of the Trio, that activities for ensuring equal opportunities and preventing discrimination of people with disabilities have to be even strengthened. To that end, we will devote special attention to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. As the state holding the Presidency, we will encourage the European Union and Member States, with various activities, to as soon as possible ratify the Convention and the Optional Protocol, and implement the provisions in the national regulations and policies or practice. Further, the Presidency will pursue improving possibilities for employment and social inclusion of people with disabilities within the framework of the Lisbon strategy and open methods of coordination for social protection and social inclusion.

GENDER EQUALITY

In the area of gender equality, Slovenian Presidency will follow the objectives and priority tasks of the European Pact for Gender Equality, the Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men (2006-2010) and the Lisbon Strategy. Slovenian Presidency will continue with implementation of the commitments from the Trio Presidency Declarations (Germany, Portugal, Slovenia) “Towards Gender Equality in the European Union” Special emphasis will be given to elimination of gender stereotypes in society, participation and empowerment of women in society and Slovenian Presidency will continue the process of monitoring implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, within the context of which we will develop indicators on the girl child and prepare a report on women in political decision-making processes. An emphasis of Slovenian Presidency will also be on gender mainstreaming in all relevant political processes and areas.