Social issues on the agenda of social partners and experts

Social issues on the agenda of social partners and experts

The EFTA Consultative Committee, which consists of social partners from EFTA States, held a full day of meetings in Brussels, in the EFTA House, on 22 March 2022.

It began with an internal meeting where the committee welcomed Giulia del Brenna from the European Commission to discuss the forthcoming Single Market Emergency Instrument of the EU. They also received a briefing from Trond Helge Baardsen the EFTA Secretariat expert on digital files on the Digital Services Act and Digital Market Act along with internal matters.

Seminar with relevant EFTA Working Groups

In the afternoon the social partners hosted a seminar on issues related to EU social policy and on relevant topics that had an impact on the EEA cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by the EFTA CC Chair, Liz Helgesen, on one hand, and the Chair of the EFTA Working Group on Health and Safety at Work and Labour Law, Ingrid Finsland, and Chair of EFTA Working Group on Free Movement of Persons, Employment and Social Policy, Jiri Klaska, on the other.

Co-chair Jiri Klaska referred to Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine and on the migration created by the war. He stated that: “No one knows how long these new arrivals will stay but these movements have great implications for migration movements in Europe and mobility in Europe.”

Max Uebe from the European Commission gave the committees an update on a recent EU proposal on improving the working conditions in platform work. Platform workers are those that provide services that are to a greater or lesser extent intermediated via a digital platform.  

The seminar participants heard and discussed presentations on the skills agenda of the European Union. Alison Crabb, Head of Unit from the European Commission, elaborated on two EU initiatives on individual learning accounts and micro-credentials.