The Italian EU Presidency
On 1st July Italy took over the EU’s six month rotating Presidency of the European Council. The handover from Greece took place at a delicate time when the EU has been shaping the new political infrastructure following the European Parliament elections held in the end of May this year.
The Italian EU Presidency has promised to promote a more active role for the EU in areas where the European initiative can add value, such as protection of fundamental rights, as well as migration and asylum policies. It also highlighted willingness to encourage collective thinking on how to improve European governance to bring Europe closer to its citizens.
Europe 2020 poverty targets and social investment
The Italian Presidency will oversee the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy and public consultations on how to support Member States to meet European targets. The Presidency will discuss in particular indicators for poverty and social exclusion targets by encouraging national statistical institutes to share their experience in the definition of a measure of absolute poverty.
National ministers in the European Council will continue discussions on the implementation of the Social Investment Package which aims to improve the adequacy and sustainability of social systems. Particular attention will be paid to social innovation and the ability for social policies to adapt to new challenges.
The Presidency will also aim to encourage better monitoring of the social and labour market situation in Member States within the framework of the European Semester, so that the Country-Specific-Recommendations drafted by the European Commission to Member States can take account of the economic and social dimensions in a more balanced manner.
Fighting unemployment
With unemployment rates in Italy at a stubborn 12.6% (and youth unemployment at a staggering 46%), the Italian EU Presidency will dedicate considerable efforts to job creation and the structural reform of labour markets. Particular emphasis will be placed on the full implementation of on-going initiatives to fight youth unemployment, most notably through the Youth Guarantee schemes and the Youth Employment Initiative, as well as investments through the European Social Fund (ESF). In this context the Presidency will be organising the next intergovernmental summit on youth unemployment.
Also on the agenda will be the implementation of the 2008 European Commission recommendation on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market, based on targeted, conditional and more effective support. In particular, the Presidency will aim to promote the definition of efficient and adequate income support measures.
As part of European efforts to fight unemployment, the Presidency will also look at advancing the Europe 2020 Strategy’s educational agenda, with a focus on youth empowerment and employability, as well as the integration of education and training systems within the labour market through work-based learning pathways (such as apprenticeships, traineeships). This will also include efforts to modernise and reform public employment services.
Moving Europe closer to its citizens
The EU Presidency will oversee the transition to a new European Parliament and Commission with the aim of creating a favourable political environment and promoting a constructive debate between all stakeholders in the renewal process. This will include promoting the improvement of working relationship between EU, Member State, regional and local levels.
Human rights and fundamental freedoms will also be front and centre by encouraging the process of the EU’s accession to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and promoting the European Commission’s monitoring work of fundamental rights within the EU, in accordance with Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union. The Presidency will organise a high-level conference with the aim of reaching a consensus on completing the existing legal framework prohibiting discrimination on any grounds. The Presidency will also host the Fourth Meeting of the National Roma Contact Points in order to strengthen national Roma inclusion initiatives.
Migration and asylum
The creation of a coherent EU migration policy in light of the crisis in the Mediterranean countries will be one of the key pillars for the Italian Presidency. Part of this will include making improvements to policies in favour of foreign unaccompanied minors, including children who are asylum seekers and/or victims of trafficking, through the analysis and the development of operational procedures and best practices. The EU’s efforts will also be focused on the continuous social integration of third country nationals, presenting best practices for this at European level.
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