Health still not given due attention in Commission work on social affairs

The EU’s list of top 10 achievements for a Social Europe

DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities is charged with empowering and supporting citizens in several ways:

 its mission is to coordinate action to combat unemployment, discrimination and poverty, and it works towards better conditions for workplaces and equal treatment of women and men.

In January 2009, DG Employment published a list of its top 10 achievemennts in contributing to a Social Europe.

The ten points concern:

 More and better jobs
 Working abroad
 Easy access to medical treatment when traveling
 The EU investing in people
 Social security coverage abroad
 Equal treatment of women and men
 Fight against discrimination
 Social partners improving working conditions
 Tackling poverty together
 Healthy workplaces

The Directorate General highlighted the activities it undertook to achieve its objectives including the European Employment Strategy, European Social Fund, European Social Dialogue, coordination for social security in order to facilitate working in entire Europe, and several legislative acts to combat discrimination.

According to DG Employment, achievements regarding health concerns include:

 the European Health Insurance Card, which ensures the right for treatment when having an accident or getting sick abroad;
 several EU health and safety laws concerning safe workplaces for reducing workplace accidents.

EPHA Comments

Although DG Employment is working in line with European values, public health has yet to be given due consideration in EU employment and social policy.

Health should be protected and promoted in all policies, in accordance with article 152 of the EC Treaty. Health is not only a concern for DG SANCO, but for all DGs. EPHA strongly encourages DG Employment to develop a coherent employment and social policy - that is a policy which gives a strong weight to public health.

Hopefully the next top 10 list will take these concerns into account and will strengthen the true implementation of European values, inter alia, of social equity, and not neglect health and well-being.

Related articles:

 Report of the first preparatory meeting on the Seventh European Round Table on poverty and social exclusion
 ****Updated*****Guide to the 2010 European Year for Combatting Poverty and Social Exclusion
 Social Platform Annual Conference on Civil Dialogue - How can we shape the Europe we want? – 9/10 December - Brussels
 6th European round table on poverty and social exclusion, 16-17 October, Ponta Delgada
 Preparation for 7th Round Table on poverty and social exclusion - 7 May 2008