The meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) will begin with the discussion, and probably adoption, of the documents to be submitted to the spring European Council on 13 and 14 March 2008. The key messages the Council will forward to the European Council stress in particular the importance of maintaining the stability of the employment guidelines under the new cycle of the Lisbon Strategy, define priorities for increasing employment and strengthening social cohesion as well as for modernising social protection, among which increasing investment in people and modernising labour markets come at the top of the list. The main finding of the Key Messages is the statement that, three years after its revision in 2005, the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs has been yielding results, although its objectives have not all been achieved in full as yet.

The EPSCO Council is expected to adopt the Joint Employment Report and the Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion. The Council will take note of the European Commission Report on equality between women and men 2007.

In the context of preparations for the spring European Council, the current ESPCO President, Slovenian Minister, Marjeta Cotman, will inform the Council about preparations for the Tripartite Social Summit to be held on 13 March 2008 in Brussels, immediately before the European Council meeting.

A Resolution on the position of persons with disabilities in the EU will be adopted at the EPSCO Council meeting. The Slovenian Presidency proposed adopting the Resolution with the aim of underlining key points in the area of protection of persons with disabilities. The Resolution summarises the findings and recommendations of the European Action Plan 2008-2009 and calls for the earliest possible ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In the Resolution, the added value of certain new development expectations related to the protection of persons with disabilities will be highlighted.

• Presidency Briefing
• Public debate
• Audiovisual note