Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are four core issues for discussion at the forthcoming EPSCO meeting. The first is the message the employment Ministers will send to the European Council on the priorities for the fourth European semester. Second is the adoption of a Council decision making some adjustments to the constitution of the tripartite social summit for growth and employment, which usually meets in advance of the European Council each spring and autumn. The third issue for discussion is the adoption of the Council recommendation on a quality framework for traineeships. Fourth on the agenda is a lunchtime discussion on the youth guarantee.

The European semester process begins with the publication by the Commission of an assessment of growth opportunities in the Union, which is followed by a debate on the needs thrown up by the growth survey. Coming out of that process is the publication of country-specific recommendations as to what each member state needs to do in order to meet the needs of European growth and achieve the co-ordination that is necessary across the Union. The adoption of these recommendations follows later in the process. This year, the country-specific recommendations will, for the first time, apply to Ireland. We were not included prior to this because we were in the troika process. The expectation on this occasion is that the recommendations for Ireland will focus on the same issues highlighted by the troika. The task for employment Ministers is to ensure there is sufficient emphasis on growth and employment opportunities within a broad European framework of economic policy. This is against a background where many EPSCO members are of the view that the European Council of Finance Ministers, ECOFIN, has had an excessive say in these matters. EPSCO has made some progress in this battle in terms of achieving a more balanced debate.

The second issue for discussion is essentially a technical matter, namely, to include the President of the European Council, Mr. Van Rompuy, in the tripartite social summit for growth and employment, together with the rotating Presidents of the Employment Council and the President of the Commission.

The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, will lead for Ireland on the third and fourth issues on the agenda, namely, the adoption of the Council recommendation on a quality framework for traineeships and the discussion on the youth guarantee.

In addition, we hope there will be a positive outcome to the agreement reached at the December EPSCO on the posted workers enforcement directive. This requires that where a company in one member state wins a contract in another, the contractor must apply the employment conditions that prevail in the country where the contract was won. The directive has gone through a very lengthy process, but we seem finally to have reached a point where the trilogues between Parliament, Council and Commission have resulted in an agreed text that is likely to be adopted.

Finally, there may be a discussion on the targets for 2020 in regard to research and development, climate change, education, poverty and social inclusion, and employment. There is talk of an exchange of views in this regard, but it probably will not be a very substantive debate because the incoming Commission is expected to bring forward proposals in the autumn to launch a mid-term review of the 2020 strategy. The expectation is that this review will be where the real business is done, once the new Commission is in place.