This week, the Netherlands EU Presidency presented its priorities for the coming six months in the EU Parliament. The Netherlands will concentrate on the following three key objectives: a Union that focusses on the essentials, an innovative Union that creates growth and jobs and a Union that unites. Concerning social policy, the Netherlands are waiting for the announced proposal of the EU Commission on labour mobility, which among other shall include a targeted revision of the Posting of Workers Directive as well as a revision of the regulation on the coordination of social security systems.

The Netherlands Presidency takes place under difficult circumstances

The Netherlands Presidency agrees with the general view that 2016 will be a difficult year; the reasons for this gloomy forecast include a number of internal and external tensions, starting with the refugee crisis, via terror and radicalisation, Euroscepticism, the BREXIT issue, growing tensions with some Member States up to not least the continued difficult economic situation. Against this background, the Presidency intends to focus on the essentials, which means in concrete terms that the European Union has to address those issues, which its citizens and companies regard as important. Over the coming months, the main focus will be on citizens and employees. The planned package on labour mobility, which will soon be proposed by the Commission, shall include a proposal on the targeted revision of the Posting of Workers Directive as well as a revision of the regulation on the coordination of social security systems. In particular, the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive has been a long-cherished concern of the labour movement, as especially with regard to postings, wage and social dumping cannot be ruled out. The revision of the EU coordination rules with regard to harmonising social security systems concerns nothing less than the prevention of abuse in this sector, which has been brought into play repeatedly. Both proposals are a highly explosive subject, being followed closely by the Chamber of Labour.

Pillar of social rights to be created

Another top priority will be the creation of a pillar of social rights for workers in Europe. In its work programme, the Commission, which currently debates the idea internally, has stated that it is necessary to modernise existing social policy legislation and to close existing loopholes in order to come closer to the aim of taking today's working environment into account and to ensure that new working models will retain a fair balance in the relationship between employers and employees. With this in mind, the Commission will have a look at the entire EU legislation concerning the social policy sector and also address a possible EU-wide 'concept of worker’, as in view of the digitalisation of the working environment this has been long overdue.

The Netherlands Presidency will have its work cut in order to deal with working through the wide range of issues. There are, apart from the just now briefly mentioned important social policy challenges, other, even tougher issues to be dealt with, beginning with migration up to engaging in active employment policy.

Further information:

Website of the Netherlands Presidency