Trip by President of the Government to take part in Social Summit of the European Union

2017.11.16

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The Social Summit will foster a dynamic exchange based on an interactive format that combines discussions through panels in plenary sessions with parallel interactive sessions. After a brief introductory plenary session, the leaders will be invited to take part in one of the three following panels. The topics scheduled are:

  • Access to the labour market: the creation of jobs and placement of the largest number of people in the labour market to ensure the best use of the potential of each person.
  • Employment and fair working conditions: to guarantee fair jobs and equal opportunities, and facilitating sustainable working lives.
  • Transition between jobs: management of re-structuring and job changes, facilitating the adjustments and preparation for the future.

President of the Government Rajoy has been invited to form part of the panel given over to discuss measures to improve access to the labour market. In this field, Spain is considered to be a benchmark at a European level. The reform of the labour market approved in 2012, together with the structural reforms carried out by the government in other sectors of the economy, have led to a turnaround of the very complicated situation in the labour market: Spain has gone from an unemployment rate of 26.97% in 2013 to 16.4% in the third quarter of 2017 (latest figures available); and, in the last three years it has managed to incorporate more than 2 million workers into the labour market.

It is now necessary to continue working to foster access to the labour market to certain groups that continue to face serious difficulties. In particular, it is important to continue promoting youth employment, an area in which Spain has made great strides: we have recently managed to achieve a figure of more than 1 million young people in work (1,030,800), a figure not achieved since September 2011. Furthermore, the effectiveness of active employment policies must be enhanced, particularly in relation to support for the long-term unemployed; and training and the continuous adaptation of workers in areas of digitalisation and technology change must be fostered.

Finally, measures at a European Union level are also important. President of the Government Rajoy will advocate in Gothenburg the strengthening of mobility policies and the recognition of qualifications, as well as European support policies, such as the youth employment initiative and structural funds for employment.

Lastly, this summit in Gothenburg is due to culminate in the signing, by President Juncker and President Tajani, together with Prime Minister Ratas, of the so-called European Pillar of Social Rights. This document consists of a reference framework to evaluate employment and social development in the participating Member States, to boost reforms at a national level and to serve as a guide for a renewed process of convergence in the EU.

Non official translation