The ILO has been an active part of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU
The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), which took place in the second half of 2023, has come to an end. The International Labour Organization (ILO) office for Spain, senior officials and experts from ILO Geneva have been present at numerous events and discussions to address the various challenges and opportunities in the field of labour, social protection and employment and training, which are present within the European Union.
15 December 2023
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MADRID (ILO News) - The Presidency also saw the participation in Spain of four ILO Deputy Directors-General (ADGs): Manuela Tomei, Assistant Director-General for the Governance, Rights and Dialogue Node at the International Labour Organization (ILO), Laura Thompson, from the International and Corporate Relations Node, Mia Seppo, from the Employment and Social Protection Node, and Beate Andrees, Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Economy of the Spanish Government has organised many different events within the framework of the Presidency. Social dialogue, a cornerstone of the ILO, has been a cornerstone of the Spanish Presidency, and the environmental dimension of collective bargaining has been addressed within the framework of this dialogue. The improvement of working conditions for digital platform workers has also been addressed, and specifically, an agreement has been reached with the European Parliament for the approval of a directive that involves improvements in their rights and which is in line with the future convention on platforms that is being discussed within the framework of the ILO.
During the Presidency, the Council Decision authorising the member countries and promoting the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work throughout the European Union was also adopted in line with the recent ratification by Spain of this Convention. Mental health in relation to precariousness at work was also the focus of the presidency, with conclusions adopted on this issue which set the way forward for work in the European Union for the next six months and which call for the ratification of ILO Fundamental Conventions 155 and 186.
Finally, a strong impetus has been given to the social economy with the adoption of the first EU-wide text on the social economy, consistent with the ILO Resolution on decent work and the social and solidarity economy.
The activities of other ministries have also been part of the ILO agenda, with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration addressing social protection and the supranational dimension of the ILO as an essential agency for the extension of social protection in the world and in the EU, with a particular focus on minimum living income and the protection of the self-employed. The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Democratic Challenge has focused on the greening of the economy, and the need for that transition to be just as indicated in the ILO Guidelines and Resolution on Just Transition for All. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training also stressed how education must adapt to the new demands of the labour market and the challenges of the future of work, given that the ILO highlights the shortage of workers in the world in certain sectors and in particular in the framework of the European Union.
The work carried out by the ILO within the framework of the Spanish presidency has addressed practically all dimensions of work with the aim of promoting decent work in the European Union as a whole and in Spain, which will undoubtedly entail reforms and improvements in the working conditions of all people in Europe, allowing progress to be made in terms of social justice and, therefore, in the ILO's objectives.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Economy of the Spanish Government has organised many different events within the framework of the Presidency. Social dialogue, a cornerstone of the ILO, has been a cornerstone of the Spanish Presidency, and the environmental dimension of collective bargaining has been addressed within the framework of this dialogue. The improvement of working conditions for digital platform workers has also been addressed, and specifically, an agreement has been reached with the European Parliament for the approval of a directive that involves improvements in their rights and which is in line with the future convention on platforms that is being discussed within the framework of the ILO.
During the Presidency, the Council Decision authorising the member countries and promoting the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work throughout the European Union was also adopted in line with the recent ratification by Spain of this Convention. Mental health in relation to precariousness at work was also the focus of the presidency, with conclusions adopted on this issue which set the way forward for work in the European Union for the next six months and which call for the ratification of ILO Fundamental Conventions 155 and 186.
Finally, a strong impetus has been given to the social economy with the adoption of the first EU-wide text on the social economy, consistent with the ILO Resolution on decent work and the social and solidarity economy.
The activities of other ministries have also been part of the ILO agenda, with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration addressing social protection and the supranational dimension of the ILO as an essential agency for the extension of social protection in the world and in the EU, with a particular focus on minimum living income and the protection of the self-employed. The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Democratic Challenge has focused on the greening of the economy, and the need for that transition to be just as indicated in the ILO Guidelines and Resolution on Just Transition for All. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training also stressed how education must adapt to the new demands of the labour market and the challenges of the future of work, given that the ILO highlights the shortage of workers in the world in certain sectors and in particular in the framework of the European Union.
The work carried out by the ILO within the framework of the Spanish presidency has addressed practically all dimensions of work with the aim of promoting decent work in the European Union as a whole and in Spain, which will undoubtedly entail reforms and improvements in the working conditions of all people in Europe, allowing progress to be made in terms of social justice and, therefore, in the ILO's objectives.