The Council of the European Union (EU) has reached a series of conclusions regarding employment in the region at recent talks.

During the meeting in Luxembourg on June 7th and 8th, delegates approved statements on "New skills for New Jobs: the way forward", which urge member nations to adapt the skills of citizens in response to changing markets.

The statements also include recommendations to improve participation in employment, particularly among younger, older, low-skilled and disadvantaged workers, in addition to strengthening links between training and education and increasing the flexibility of current systems.

During autumn this year, the European Commission is charged with proposing further steps towards the development of the New Skills for New Jobs project and examine current EU funding mechanisms.

The 3,019th council meeting focused on Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs and attendees also decided to adopt a series of conclusions relating to "sustainable social security systems achieving adequate pensions and social inclusion objectives", in order to improve retirement for EU workers.

Posted by Alex Donnell