The 2016 Dutch EU Presidency Priorities on Social Employment Policy

The 2016 Dutch EU Presidency Priorities on Social Employment Policy and first impressions on the European Commission’s Labour Mobility package 

Upon invitation only

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Labour migration is a hot button and sensitive topic in today’s European Union. Free movement of workers and services is at the core of the EU internal market. At the supranational level the Commission emphasizes increased labour mobility as one of the sources of economic growth. At the national level, however, the presumed negative side effects of labour migration are dominating most anti-EU rhetoric. Several Member States have put in place policy initiatives and practices that limit the principle of the free movement of persons and services within the EU. 

The aim of this expert seminar is to analyse labour migration in the EU and the EU policy agenda in this field. We will look at the current state of affairs and apply a forward-looking approach in view of the upcoming Dutch EU Presidency (January 2016). In the area of social and employment policy the Dutch Presidency will focus on promoting decent work. ‘Equal pay for equal work in the same workplace’ is the key principle as far as the Netherlands is concerned. One of the central aims of the country’s Minister for Social Affairs is to change the Posted Workers Directive. To that end, the date coincides also with the momentum of announcing by the European Commission the new mobility package.

At this point, one might ask what chances a relatively small country such as Netherlands has to succeed with such an ambitious agenda on a relatively sensitive topic. In this session we would like to discuss the challenges of labour migration and ideas to change the Posted Workers Directive. During this lunch meeting we will look at how we can ensure competition between Member States without citizens loosing their social rights, how to keep up the principle of quality work for all and how to prevent further spread of social dumping. We will to that end look also at the narrative that dominates the debate and seek progressive ways forward.

This interactive seminar brings together researchers, policy-makers and politicians working on European Union policy and experts on labour migration.

The conclusions and recommendations drawn will serve as inputs for FEPS’s research of “the Next Social Europe” where FEPS intends to look how a progressive narrative and innovative way forward can be brought in this current debate.