Ministers' Deputies
CM Documents

CM(2000)22 9 February 2000
————————————————

700 Meeting, 1 March 2000
6 Social cohesion

6.1 European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS)

Abridged Report of the 3^rd meeting (Strasbourg, 3 - 5 November 1999)

————————————————

1. The European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) held its third meeting from 3 to 5 November 1999, with Mr Kvalheim (Norway) in the chair.

2. The list of participants and the agenda appear in Appendices 1 and 2 respectively.

3. As instructed by the Committee of Ministers, the Committee took note of the following texts and agreed to bear them in mind in its future activities:

(a) Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1340 (1997) on the social and family effects of detention;

(b) Final communiqué of the XXVIth Session of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Family Affairs.

4. The Committee was given progress reports on all the activities on social cohesion in the 1999 intergovernmental programme of activities. It expressed satisfaction that its various new activities had all got off to an encouraging start.

5. The Committee was further informed about the progress of ADACS activities in the field of social cohesion. It expressed particular satisfaction that it had been possible to respond rapidly to the needs of children in Kosovo and surrounding regions by launching an emergency programme jointly with UNICEF.

6. The Committee took note of information about the progress of the Joint Programme of Co-operation with the Council of Europe Development Bank.

7. The Committee held an exchange of views on the possibilities for research and analysis activities to be carried out by the Specialised Unit and instructed the Bureau to consider the matter further.

8. The Committee adopted its Conclusions on the application of the European Code of Social Security by Contracting Parties for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. The Secretariat was authorised to transmit them to the Committee of Ministers after final editorial work. In past years, the adoption of the conclusions on the application of the Code usually took place in the first half of each year. The recent restructuring of Committees in the social affairs field and the resulting changes in the distribution of responsibilities between committees, however, led to a delay in 1999. The CDCS also considered a number of procedural questions. In particular, it decided to give the CS-CO authority to adopt and transmit its conclusions on the application of the European Code of Social Security by Contracting Parties direct to the Committee of Ministers. It requested the Bureau to prepare a draft amendment to the specific terms of reference of the CS-CO for adoption at the next meeting of the CDCS.

9. The Committee adopted the final activity report of the Committee of Experts on Social Security Systems and their Operation in a Difficult Economic Context (SS-CED). The final activity report is now submitted to the Committee of Ministers (see Addendum I to the present document).

10. On the basis of a draft text prepared by the Secretariat, the Committee held a debate on the strategy for social cohesion. The Committee made arrangements for finalising the document setting out the strategy for social cohesion so that it can be adopted at the next meeting and transmitted to the Committee of Ministers.

11. The Committee was informed that the Explanatory Report on the European Interim Agreements on Social Security Schemes had recently been finalised by the Committee for Co-ordination in the Social Security Field (CS-CR). After final editorial work, the report can now be submitted to the Committee of Ministers. (See Addendum II to the present document).

12. The Committee was fully informed about the arrangements for the European Conference on Social Development, to be held in Dublin on 17 and 18 January 2000 in the framework of the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The Conference enables member States to have a political exchange of views in preparation for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Social Development (Geneva, June 2000). The Committee examined the draft written contribution of the Council of Europe for the Special Session, which had been drawn up by the Ad Hoc Group it had set up for the purpose. Arrangements were made for finalising the text, in consultation with the members of the Committee, before the Dublin Conference.

13. The Committee was informed about the prospects for the 2000 intergovernmental programme of activities. It also held an informal exchange of views on the ADACS proposals for 2000 in the field of social cohesion.

14. The Committee held an exchange of views on the role and organisational arrangements for conferences of specialised ministers in the field of social cohesion. It expressed its support for the holding of a Conference of European Ministers responsible for Family Affairs (invitation from Slovenia) and a Conference of European Ministers responsible for Social Security (invitation from the Slovak Republic) at dates to be agreed. It hoped that the preparatory process could be simplified in the future. The Committee did not think it would be appropriate to start a new series of conferences of ministers responsible for social cohesion; on the other hand, it might be useful to hold occasional ad hoc conferences of ministers at particularly important moments in the implementation of the social cohesion strategy. Thus, the Committee expressed interest in the possibility of organising, in autumn 2000, an ad hoc conference of ministers in order to consider the European follow-up to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Social Development, which will take place in Geneva in June 2000 (see paragraph 12, above).

15. The Committee examined the report of the co-ordinated research programme on parenting (support for parents) and approved its publication subject to any corrections to be sent to the Secretariat in writing (see document CDCS (99) 19).

16. The Committee agreed on working methods for a new co-ordinated research programme in 2000 and selected the following theme: "different models of last resort benefits in Europe".

17. The Committee agreed that, after the completion of the current Programme for Children in autumn 2000, the work on family affairs and childhood policies should be carried forward by a new structure subordinate to the CDCS. The Bureau was asked to prepare draft terms of reference. As an interim measure, the Committee decided to request the Committee of Ministers to extend the validity of the terms of reference of the Forum for Children, which are currently due to expire on 30 April 2000, to the end of 2000.

18. The Committee was informed about activities of other Council of Europe bodies in the field of social cohesion. It agreed to the request by the Steering Committee for Human Rights to be represented at meetings of the CDCS and requested the Committee of Ministers to amend paragraph 5b of its specific terms of reference accordingly.

19. In accordance with the procedure laid down in Resolution (76) 3, the Committee agreed unanimously to admit the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Office (ILO) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as observers. It requested the Committee of Ministers to amend its specific terms of reference accordingly.

20. The following elections were made:

(a) Chair: Mr. Kvalheim (Norway); second term of office;

(b) Vice-Chair: Ms. Cvelbar-Bek (Slovenia); second term of office;

(c) Members of the Bureau:

- Ms. Bujnovska (Slovak Republic), first term of office;

- Mr. Kindlund (Sweden), second term of office;

- Mr. Zammit (Malta), second term of office.

21. The Committee agreed to hold its fourth meeting from 10-12 May 2000 in Strasbourg.

Chair/Président: Mr Alfred KVALHEIM (Norway/Norvège)

Vice-Chair/Vice-Présidente: Mrs Renata CVELBAR-BEK, (Slovenia/Slovénie)

ALBANIA/ALBANIE: Mme Natasha VOSHTINA, Spécialiste, Direction des Relations Internationales, Ministère du Travail et des Affaires Sociales, TIRANA

AUSTRIA/AUTRICHE: Mme Eva FEHRINGER, Federal Ministry for Labour, Health and Social Affairs, VIENNA, Mme Rosa-Anna WEISS, Federal Ministry of Environment, Youth and Family Affairs, VIENNA

BELGIUM/BELGIQUE: M. François VANDAMME, Conseiller Général, Service des Affaires Internationales, Ministère de l'Emploi et du Travail, BRUXELLES, M. Michel VILLAN, Directeur, Direction Générale de l’action sociale et de la santé, Ministère de la Région Wallonne, Division de l’action sociale et des immigrés, NAMUR, M. Jef MOSTINCKX, Directeur d’Administration, Ministère de la Flandre, Département de l’Aide Sociale, de la Santé Publique et de la Culture, Administration de la Famille et de l’Aide Sociale, BRUXELLES

BULGARIA/BULGARIE: Mr Ilian IGNATOV, Secretary Office of the Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, SOFIA

CROATIA/CROATIE: Prof. Dr Željko POTOCNJAK

Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, ZAGREB

CYPRUS/CHYPRE: Mrs Loulla THEODOROU, Director of Welfare Services, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, NICOSIA

CZECH REPUBLIC/REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE: Mr Ludek RYCHLÝ, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, PRAGUE

DENMARK/DANEMARK: Mr. Poul VORRE, Head of Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, COPENHAGEN K, Mr Arne MADSEN, Head of Section, Ministry of Social Affairs, International Relations Division, COPENHAGEN

ESTONIA/ESTONIE: Mr Lauri LEPPIK, Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs, TALLINN

FINLAND/FINLANDE: Mr Ralf EKEBOM, Senior Adviser, Bureau for International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, HELSINKI

FRANCE/FRANCE, Mme Martine COURTOIS, Adjointe au Chef du bureau des politiques communautaires, Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité, Délégation aux Affaires européennes et internationales, PARIS

GEORGIA/GEORGIE, Mme Lali ANTIDZE, Member of the Council for Women Social Rights in Georgia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TBILISSI

GERMANY/ALLEMAGNE, Dr Frank HEMPEL, Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung, BONN

GREECE/GRECE, Mrs Evangelia BAGE, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate of International Affairs, ATHENS

HUNGARY/HONGRIE, Dr János MÁTÉ, Deputy Director, Ministry of Social and Family, BUDAPEST

ICELAND/ISLANDE, Mr Jón Saemundur SIGURJÓNSSON, Head of Division, Ministry of Health and Social Security, REYKJAVIK

IRELAND/IRLANDE, Mr Gerry MANGAN, Principal Officer, EU/International Unit, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, DUBLIN

ITALY/ITALIE, Mr. Claudio CANETRI, Ufficio di Gabinetto del Ministro per la Solidarietà Sociale, Dipartimento per gli Affari Sociali, ROMA

LATVIA/LETTONIE, Mrs Ruta PURINA, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Welfare/Secrétaire d’Etat Adjoint, Ministère du Bien Public, RIGA

LIECHTENSTEIN/LIECHTENSTEIN, M. Hugo RISCH, Amt für Soziale Dienste, Post- und Verwaltungsgebäude, SCHAAN

LITHUANIA/LITUANIE, Mr Vytautas ŽIUKAS, Director of the Department of International Affairs, Ministry of Social Security and Labour, VILNIUS

LUXEMBOURG, M. Claude EWEN, Inspecteur de la Sécurité Sociale 1ère classe, Inspection Générale de la Sécurité Sociale, Ministère de la Sécurité Sociale, LUXEMBOURG

MALTA/MALTE, Dr Victor ZAMMIT, Director, Family Welfare Department, SANTA VENERA

MOLDOVA/MOLDOVA, Mr Evlampie DONOS, Vice-minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family, CHISINAU

NETHERLANDS/PAYS-BAS, Mr Albert BLOEMHEUVEL, Head of the Insurances and Treaties Division of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, THE HAGUE

NORWAY/NORVEGE, Mr. Alfred KVALHEIM, Mrs Inger-Johanne WREMER, Director General/Directrice Générale, Ministry of Children and Family Affairs/Ministère des Enfants et de la Famille, OSLO, Mr. Helge HÅVIE, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Labour and Government Administration, Arbeids-og administrasjonsdepartementet, OSLO

POLAND/POLOGNE, Mrs Bozena DRZEWICKA, Représentation Permanente de la République de Pologne auprès du Conseil de l'Europe, STRASBOURG, Mr Igor STRUMINSKI, Chief expert, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, European Integration and International Co-operation Department, WARSAW

PORTUGAL/PORTUGAL, Mme Maria Madalena PINHEIRO, Directrice Générale du Département des Affaires Européennes et Relations Internationales, Ministère du Travail et de la Solidarité, LISBOA

ROMANIA/ROUMANIE, Mr. Razvan CIRICA, Director General, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, BUCAREST

RUSSIAN FEDERATION/FEDERATION DE RUSSIE, Mme Maria TKACH, Directrice Adjointe, Département de la coopération internationale, Ministère du Travail et du Développement Social, MOSCOW

SAN MARINO/SAINT-MARIN, M. Domenico CECCHETTI, Consultant, Ministère des Affaires Sociales, Instruction, Justice, DOGANA

SLOVAK REPUBLIC/REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE, Mrs Daniela BUJNOVSKA, Director General, International Relations Section, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, BRATISLAVA

SLOVENIA/SLOVENIE, Mrs Renata CVELBAR-BEK, Head of the Department for International Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, LJUBLJANA

SPAIN/ESPAGNE, M. José Antonio PANIZO ROBLES, Sous-Directeur Général de Ordonacion y Asistencia Juridica, Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social, MADRID, Mme Luisa GOYA LAZA, Conseillère Technique, Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social, MADRID, Mme Ana GONZALEZ GOMEZ, Chef de service à la Sous-Direction Générale des Relations Sociales Internationales, Ministère du Travail et des Affaires Sociales, MADRID

SWEDEN/SUEDE, Mr Bengt LIDAL, Director, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, STOCKHOLM, Mr Sören KINDLUND, Senior Administrative Officer, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, STOCKHOLM, Mrs Gunn FRANZEN LJUNG, Undersecretary for Co-ordination and Planning, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, STOCKHOLM

SWITZERLAND/SUISSE, Mme Anne SIEGENTHALER, Section Conseil de l'Europe, Département fédéral des affaires étrangères, BERNE, Mme Elisabeth IMESCH, Chef de la Section Organisations Internationales, Office fédéral des assurances sociales, Département fédéral de l'intérieur, BERNE

"THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA"/«L’EX-REPUBLIQUE YOUGOSLAVE DE MACEDOINE », Apologised/Excusée

TURKEY/TURQUIE, Mr Cemil GÜRSEN, Head of Department, The Directorate General for Turkish Workers Abroad, Ministry for Labour and Social Security, Daire Baskani - Calisma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanligi, ANKARA, Mrs Idil ATAK, Deputy to the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the Council of Europe, STRASBOURG

UKRAINE/UKRAINEn, Mr Mykola MELENEVSKY, Chief of Human Rights Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KYIV

UNITED KINGDOM/ROYAUME-UNI, Mr Terence ROBINS, Second Secretary, United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, STRASBOURG

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY/COMMUNAUTE EUROPEENNE, Mr Brendan SINNOTT, Chef d'unité, Direction Générale Emploi et Affaires Sociales, BRUXELLES, M. Jos JONCKERS, Directorate General Employment and Social Affairs, BRUXELLES

Parliamentary Assembly / Assemblée parlementaire, M. le Député Claude EVIN, Member of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee/Membre de la Commission des Questions Sociales, de la Santé et de la Famille, Palais Bourbon, Service des Affaires Européennes, PARIS

Congress of local and regional authorities of Europe / Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux de l’Europe (CPLRE): Apologised / Excusé

European Committee of Social Rights / Comité Européen des Droits Sociaux (ECSR): Apologised / Excusé

Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter / Comité gouvernemental de la Charte sociale européenne, Ms Joanna MACIEJEWSKA, Deuxième Vice-Présidente du Comité gouvernemental de la Charte sociale européenne, Conseiller Ministériel, Ministère du Travail et de la Politique Sociale WARSAW, Secretariat: Mme Michèle AKIP, Administrative Officer, Secretary of the Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter/Administratrice, Secrétaire du Comité Gouvernemental de la Charte Sociale Européenne, Directorate of Human Rights / Direction des Droits de l'Homme

Partial Agreement on the Social Development Fund / Accord Partiel sur le Fonds de Développement Social : Secretariat: M. Nicola CATALANO, Chef de Division à la Direction Générale des Prêts, Banque de Développement du Conseil de l’Europe, Antenne auprès du Conseil de l’Europe, STRASBOURG

Partial Agreement in the Social and Public Health Field / Accord Partiel dans le domaine social et de la santé publique - Committee on the Rehabilitation and Integration of People with disabilities (CD-P-RR) / Comité pour la réadaptation et l’intégration des personnes handicapées (CD-P-RR), Ms Karin ZETLITZ, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, OSLO, Secretariat: Mr Thorsten AFFLERBACH, Administrateur, division de l'Accord partiel dans le domaine social et de la Santé publique, Conseil de l'Europe

Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men / Comité Directeur pour l’Egalité entre les Femmes et les Hommes (CDEG): Apologised / Excusé

European Committee on Migration / Comité Européen sur les Migrations (CDMG), Mr Gerard VAN RIENEN, International Co-ordinator, THE HAGUE, Secretariat: Mme Maria OCHOA-LLIDO, Chef de la division des Migrations/Head of Migrations Division, Secrétaire du CDMG/Secretary of CDMG, Conseil de l'Europe

European Population Committee / Comité Européen sur la Population (CDPO), Dr Andras KLINGER, President, Demographic Committee, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, BUDAPEST

European Health Committee / Comité Européen de la Santé (CDSP), Dr Vlasta MOCNIK DRNOVSEK, Counsellor to the Government, International Relations Department, Ministry of Health, Stefanova, 5, 1000 LJUBLJANA - SLOVENIA, Secretariat: Mr Henry SCICLUNA, Head of the Health Division, Council of Europe / Chef de la Division de la Santé, / Secretary of CDSP, Council of Europe / Secrétaire du CDSP, Conseil de l'Europe

Steering Committee on Human Rights / Comité Directeur pour les Droits de l’Homme (CDDH), Apologised / Excusé

CANADA, Mme Louise GALARNEAU, Directrice Relations Internationales, Développement des Ressources Humaines, HULL, Québec

HOLY SEE/SAINT-SIEGE, Père Gonzague CALLIES, s.j, STRASBOURG

JAPAN/JAPON, Apologised / Excusé

USA / ETATS-UNIS, Apologised / Excusé

ARMENIA/ARMENIE, Mr Aleksandr KOSTANYAN, Head of Department of Social Insurance, Ministry of Social Security, YEREVAN

AZERBAÏDJAN, Mr Vagab MAMEDOV, Head of Employment Policy and Demography Department, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Government House, BAKU

Mrs Irina MOROSANU, Field Co-ordinator Joint Programme Council of Europe, Unicef programme in Kosovo, Council of Europe Office, PRISTINA, Kosovo

DIRECTORATE GENERAL III - SOCIAL COHESION / DIRECTION GENERALE III - COHESION SOCIALE, Mr. Constantinos N. PILAVACHI, Director General, Directorate General III - Directeur Général, Direction Générale III

Mme Gabriella BATTAINI-DRAGONI, Director, Directorate General III - Social Cohesion / Directrice, Direction Générale III - Cohésion Sociale

Executive Secretary of the European Committee for Social Cohesion / Secrétaire Exécutif du Comité Européen pour la Cohésion Sociale

Mme Caroline HILLER, Assistant / assistante

I. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

c. Draft Recommendation on the right to free choice in matters of sexuality and reproduction: opinion transmitted to the CDEG

d. Recommendation 1340 (1997) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the social and family effects of detention

[MMF-26(99)4]

III. PROGRESS REPORT ON ACTIVITIES ON SOCIAL COHESION

a. Activities in the field of social security:

- Committee of experts on standard-setting instruments in the social security field (CS-CO);

- Publications on trends in social protection.

b. Promoting access to social rights:

- Access to employment;

- Improving the quality of life of elderly dependent persons.

- Forum for children;

- Work of the focus groups;

- Group on children in difficulty : vagrant children.

g. Activities of the ADACS programme (Activities for the Development and Consolidation of Democratic Stability)

[CDCS (99) 24]

h. Co-operation programme with the Social Development Fund

[CDCS (99) 30]

[CDCS (99) 25]

V. EUROPEAN CODE OF SOCIAL SECURITY : ADOPTION OF CONCLUSIONS

V (a) Adoption of conclusions, according to Article 74 of the Code

[CDCS (99) 35; CDCS (99) 28]

[CDCS (99) 34]

VIII. PREPARATION OF THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (DUBLIN, 17-18 JANUARY 2000)

[CS-AH (99) 2; CS-AH (99) 6; CS-AH (99) 7]

IX. CONFERENCES OF SPECIALISED MINISTERS IN THE SOCIAL COHESION FIELD

[CDCS (99) 27]

X. PRESENTATION OF THE REPORT OF THE CO-ORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON PARENTING (SUPPORT FOR PARENTS)

XI. FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR CO-ORDINATED RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL COHESION

[CDCS (99) 21]

XVIII. DATES OF FORTHCOMING MEETINGS