EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL POLICY COUNCIL : MINISTERS PREPARE SPRING EUROPEAN COUNCIL.

• Position: Conference notes

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council focused, on 8 March, on preparing the spring European Council (25-26 March) and the tripartite social summit that will precede it. The ministers are also adopted a directive to protect health care workers from injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments, as well as conclusions on eradicating violence against women.

The 27 participants discussed the impetus to be given to their area of competence, based on the new ten-year economic strategy, Europe 2020', just presented by the Commission. Among the key objectives of this strategy: to raise employment among Europeans aged 20 to 64 years to 75% by 2020 and to bring 20 million people out of poverty. They...