EU ministers’ meeting to discuss mental health and digitalisation at work

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council of EU employment and social affairs ministers is meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, 9 October 2023. The ministers are expected to adopt conclusions on issues such as mental health and precarious work. In addition, the Council seeks to reach a political agreement on a recommendation on developing framework conditions for the social economy. 

Finland is being represented at the meeting by Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister of Social Security.

The conclusions on mental health and precarious work deal in particular with the psychosocial risks connected to digitalisation at work and new forms of employment. Finland has been active on the issue and can adopt the conclusions.

“The promotion of mental health in the workplace is important for both humane and economic reasons. The EU conclusions put in concrete terms how working life can support mental health, prevent mental health problems and reduce related absenteeism,” says Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister of Social Security.

The Council is also in the process of adopting a recommendation on developing framework conditions for the social economy, on which the ministers will seek to reach a political agreement. The purpose of the recommendation is to recognise the role of the social economy in accessing the labour market and in social inclusion, to support social enterprises and to facilitate their access to finance. The social economy refers to private actors, such as cooperatives, mutual companies, associations, foundations and social enterprises that prioritise human, social or environmental objectives in their activities. Social economy actors, for example, reinvest most of their profits and surpluses to pursue objectives relevant to them. Finland has actively participated in the negotiations and can adopt the recommendation.  

Discussion on digitalisation, employment and working hours

The Council also plans to endorse key messages on employment and social challenges by the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee. The ministers are also invited to adopt the 2023 employment guidelines for the member states. Finland can adopt these documents.

In this context, the ministers will also discuss the impact of new technologies on employment, skills, workers’ rights, labour relations and social rights, as well as what initiatives the EU could launch on these issues.

At lunch, the ministers will discuss working hours and national experiences related to flexible or reduced working hours. The ministers will also discuss the role of the EU in this. 

In addition to these topics, ministers will discuss social protection systems. The discussion will cover, for example, the use of digitalisation in the development of social security systems and the related exchange of information.  

Furthermore, the Council will adopt conclusions on social protection for the self-employed, which are related to recommendations adopted on the subject in 2019.  Conclusions on measures to ensure equal access for Roma people to adequate housing will also be presented to the Council for adoption. Finland can adopt the conclusions.

Inquiries:

Niilo Heinonen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Social Security, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 603
Jenni Heikka, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 163
Pasi Korhonen, Director of EU and International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 175
Satu Leino, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 498
Email addresses are in the form [email protected]