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Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) 21st June 2018, Luxembourg

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council met on the 21^th June 2018 in Luxembourg. The Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union, Katrina Williams, represented the UK.

Three legislative proposals achieved general approach at the Council. These were the proposed Revision of Regulations on coordination of social security systems (883/04 and 987/09); the Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union 16018/17; and the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers and Repealing Council Directive 2010/18/E.

The Council also discussed the European Semester. As part of this agenda item, the Council approved Draft Council Recommendations on the National Reform Programmes 2018 of each Member State; endorsed the opinions of the Employment Committee (EMCO) and the Social Protection Committee (SPC) on the 2018 Country-specific Recommendations (CSRs) and the implementation of the 2017 CSRs; and adopted a proposal on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States.

There were a number of progress reports and information items during the Council. These included an update on proposals for an equal treatment directive, the proposed European Labour Authority, and an overview of the Commission’s plans for the future European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGAF).

The Council closed with updates on the status of other legislative files, broader developments in the field of employment and social policy, and an overview of the priorities of the incoming Austrian presidency.