Mrs Pervenche Berès, EP Chairwoman of the Employment and Social Affairs committee participated at the Informal meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs in Barcelona on 29 January 2010. During her intervention she stressed the need for employment to be the top priority in the EU2020 Strategy.

« With 10% of unemployed people in the EU and low growth forecasts, the EU 2020 Strategy needs to focus on employment, notably on youth integration in the labour market. It should incorporate new measurable, binding and quantitative social targets and indicators, including commitments to work towards the eradication of poverty and social exclusion », said Pervenche Berès, during the Informal meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs. The meeting took place in Barcelona from 27 to 29 January, with the participation of the Trio Presidency and representatives from the social partners and civil society.

EU 2020 Strategy

« After the very poor results of Lisbon strategy even before the crisis, there is a need for a renewed approach », said the EP Chairwoman of the EMPL committee, stressing that social ministers had to be listened to by finance ministers.

« This requires to use the new tool the social clause of the Lisbon treaty constitutes, to challenge the open method of coordination that didn’t deliver as it should have and to use the revision of the financial perspective to implement this next strategy », she added.

Social inclusion

« Eradicating poverty should be put on the same footing. We have to use the European Year 2010 for combating poverty and social exclusion as a spring board », declared Pervenche Berès, reminding that the European Parliament made proposals on European and national targets to eradicate poverty (i.e. target for minimum income schemes of at least 60% of national median equalised income and an EU target for minimum wages).