Elisabeth Borne, the minister for labour, employment and economic inclusion is expected to chair the Council of European Union meeting taking place on Monday, March 14, 2022.
The meeting will among other things be discussing the situation in Ukraine and the financial support measures decided on at European level for the reception of refugees.
Besides, the meeting hopes to reach a general approach on a proposal for a directive on improving gender balance in the boardroom. Ministers of the member countries will hold an exchange of views on combating discrimination in employment and promoting diversity in the world of work.
The EU is seeking to achieve more balanced representation of men and women on the boards of listed companies. While progress towards more equality in this area has been made, it remains slow and uneven across the member states.
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Women account for around 60pencent of new university graduates in the EU, yet are heavily under-represented in economic decision-making, especially at the top.
According to a statement from the Council of the European Union, ministers will be able to exchange views over lunch, on concrete actions to be implemented now to ensure social care, in particular in terms of accommodation, and access to food and essential goods and services, for displaced and refugee populations from Ukraine. This informal exchange will take place with the participation of a representative of the Red Cross.
Later in the afternoon a policy debate on promoting the full participation of older people in the world of work will be held. Ministers also plan to approve conclusions on a European Court of Auditors special report, adopt the joint employment report 2022 and approve conclusions on the 2022 annual sustainable growth strategy and joint employment report.
A press conference by Elisabeth Borne with commissioner Schmit is scheduled for 17.30pm.
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