https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en147808https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/10/19/2026-10-19T12:00:00+02:00148169https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/11/22-23/2026-11-22T12:00:00+01:00147835https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/12/07/2026-12-07T12:00:00+01:00147836https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/12/08/2026-12-08T12:00:00+01:00142477https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/06/29/EU employment and social affairs ministers approved conclusions on cyber violence against girls, and on the link between demographic trends and housing policy. They discussed housing security for students and middle-income households, advancing fair labour mobility, and the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. The European Semester Spring Package and gender-related aspects of job quality were also on the agenda.2026-06-29T12:00:00+02:00142478https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/06/16/Topics on the agenda for health ministers included the European Biotech Act I and the medical and in vitro devices regulation.2026-06-16T12:00:00+02:00148277https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/06/05/EU health ministers took part in an informal video conference to exchange information on the recent Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.2026-06-05T12:00:00+02:00142479https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/03/09/EU employment and social affairs ministers approved conclusions on investing in children and exchanged views on breaking the poverty cycle. Also on the agenda were the European Semester cycle, a recommendation on human capital, and the use of AI to strengthen quality jobs and workers’ rights. Over lunch, the Council discussed housing solutions in a changing demographic landscape.2026-03-09T12:00:00+01:00144718https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2026/02/03/EU ministers responsible for housing met via video conference for an initial exchange of views on the European Affordable Housing Plan.2026-02-03T12:00:00+01:00137857https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/12/02/EU health ministers met in Brussels to discuss the critical medicines act. Over lunch, they also exchanged views on the impact of novel tobacco and nicotine products on children and young people.2025-12-02T12:00:00+01:00137856https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/12/01/Employment and social policy ministers met in Brussels to discuss affordable housing, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, exposure to hazardous substances at work, and the EU’s simplification agenda.2025-12-01T12:00:00+01:00137831https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/10/17/EU equality ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss violence against women and domestic violence, discrimination against LGBTIQ persons, social inclusion of persons with disabilities, and ways to advance disability rights in the EU.2025-10-17T12:00:00+02:00132042https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/06/20/EU health ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss the mental health of children and adolescents, the critical medicines act, and policy measures to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption.2025-06-20T12:00:00+02:00132041https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/06/19/Employment, social policy and equality ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss the traineeships directive, equal treatment, AI and gender equality, the European Semester, and ways to support older people to reach their full potential in the labour market and in society.2025-06-19T12:00:00+02:00132011https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/04/16/2025-04-16T12:00:00+02:00131919https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2025/03/10/In the context of the European Semester, the Council held a policy debate on ways to mitigate the challenges of the ‘silver transformation’ for the EU’s workforce. Other topics on the agenda related to the European Semester autumn package included the employment and social aspects of the 2025 recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area, the 2025 Joint Employment Report, and the aspects of the medium-term fiscal-structural plans that were relevant to the EPSCO Council.2025-03-10T12:00:00+01:00127351https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/12/03/Health ministers discussed smoke- and aerosol-free environments, the pharmaceutical package, cardiovascular health, organ donation and transplantation, and the European Health Union.2024-12-03T00:00:00+01:00127349https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/12/02/Employment and social affairs ministers discussed a range of topics, including traineeships, comprehensive solutions to demographic challenges, the European Semester, labour and skill shortages, social inclusion of persons with disabilities, and women's mental health.2024-12-02T00:00:00+01:00127403https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/10/09-10/2024-10-09T12:00:00+02:00127310https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/07/16/Ministers of employment and social affairs met in Brussels for a half-day Council. As part of the annual European Semester cycle, they approved the employment and social aspects of member states’ country-specific recommendations (CSRs), endorsed an opinion by EMCO and the SPC on the assessment and implementation of the CSRs, and discussed labour and skills shortages in the EU. They also held a policy debate on the social inclusion of persons with disabilities at the EU and national level.2024-07-16T00:00:00+02:00104532https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/06/21/In Luxembourg today, EU health ministers approved conclusions on the future of the European Health Union and discussed the state of play of the pharmaceutical package. They also adopted a recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers as part of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.2024-06-21T00:00:00+02:00104529https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/06/20/Employment and social affairs ministers met in Luxembourg today, where they agreed the Council’s position on the European Works Council Directive and held a policy debate on the social dimension of the internal market. The European Semester Spring Package, the reinforced quality framework for traineeships and the equal treatment directive were also on the agenda.2024-06-20T00:00:00+02:00123209https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/05/07/During the first ever EPSCO Council devoted to equality, ministers approved conclusions on the economic empowerment and financial independence of women. They also discussed representation of women in public life and the state of play of the Equal Treatment Directive.2024-05-07T00:00:00+02:00104520https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/03/11/Employment and social affairs ministers met in Brussels, where they approved the agreement reached with the European Parliament on a new law that will improve working conditions for platform workers. They also discussed the European Pillar of Social Rights in the framework of the European Semester and the future social agenda.2024-03-11T00:00:00+01:00104514https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2024/02/26-27/2024-02-26T00:00:00+01:00104478https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/11/30/EU ministers for health met in Brussels to discuss open strategic autonomy from a health perspective and they approved conclusions on mental health. The Spanish presidency also updated health ministers on ongoing legislative files and their state of play, such as the regulation on EMA fees, the European Health Data Space regulation, the regulation on substances of human origin and the pharmaceutical package.2023-11-30T00:00:00+01:00104473https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/11/27-28/On the second day of the EPSCO Council, the focus was on social investment and EU fiscal rules. Employment and social policy ministers also approved conclusions on digitalisation in social security coordination.2023-11-27T00:00:00+01:00104486https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/11/23-24/2023-11-23T10:00:00+01:00104466https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/10/09/EU ministers for employment and social affairs met in Luxembourg to discuss the 2023 European Semester and the impact of new technologies on labour. They reached a political agreement on a recommendation on developing a supportive framework for the social economy. They also approved conclusions on mental health and precarious work, on equal access to adequate housing for Roma, and on social protection for the self-employed.2023-10-09T00:00:00+02:00104462https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/06/12-13/EU health ministers met in Luxembourg where they adopted a recommendation on antimicrobial resistance and agreed on a general approach on the fee system for the European Medicines Agency. They also discussed ways to strengthen the pharmaceutical ecosystem and took stock of progress on other legislative files.2023-06-12T00:00:00+02:00104447https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/05/03-04/Each Council presidency organises informal meetings of ministers to discuss initiatives related to a particular topic or Council configuration.2023-05-03T00:00:00+02:00104409https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2023/03/13-14/Ministers of employment and social affairs held an exchange of views on the employment and social situation in the EU, with a particular focus on the labour market situation of refugees from Ukraine. They also exchanged views on the European Semester 2023 and on a proposed Council decision as regards the ratification of the ILO convention concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work. Other business points included a presentation of recommendations stemming from the mission to Ukraine of the Commission’s Special Advisor on the reception of Ukrainian refugees. Ministers of health held a policy debate on a draft law on fees and charges payable to the European Medicines Agency and exchanged views on the topic of the EU global health strategy which was presented by the Commission on 30 November 2022. The Council also addressed the implementation of the medical device regulations.2023-03-13T00:00:00+01:00104376https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/12/09/The Council - at its meeting of EU health ministers - adopted a new recommendation on cancer screening and discussed COVID-19 vaccine procurement.2022-12-09T00:00:00+01:00104368https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/12/08/At today's Council meeting, EU employment and social affairs ministers discussed how to improve working conditions for people doing platform work and reached a common position on a law to improve the protection of workers from the risks of asbestos.2022-12-08T00:00:00+01:00104399https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/10/12-13/2022-10-12T00:00:00+02:00104320https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/06/16/The presidency informed about the state of play as regards the draft law on improving working conditions in platform work. Ministers adopted recommendations on individual learning accounts and on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality. They also held policy debates on the European Semester, on national objectives to reach the European Social Rights Action Plan headline targets and on employment of people with disabilities.2022-06-16T00:00:00+02:00104358https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/06/14/Ministers held two policy debates – about the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the revision of the EU’s global health strategy.2022-06-14T00:00:00+02:00104314https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/03/29/Health ministers exchanged views on the next challenges for the EU’s strategy on COVID-19 vaccine solidarity, and the medical and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.2022-03-29T00:00:00+02:00104348https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/03/15/Health ministers met virtually to discuss a coordinated response of the EU to the health consequences of the war in Ukraine.2022-03-15T00:00:00+01:00104302https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/03/14/Employment and social affairs ministers discussed the situation in Ukraine and the financial support measures decided on at European level for the reception of refugees. The Council also reached a general approach on a draft directive on improving the balance between women and men on company boards.2022-03-14T00:00:00+01:00104346https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2022/02/14-15/2022-02-14T10:00:00+01:00104269https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/12/06-07/Ministers exchanged views on current and future responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and approved conclusions on strengthening the European Health Union.2021-12-06T00:00:00+01:00104238https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/10/15/Employment and social affairs ministers discussed the future of the European Semester and had a debate on health and safety in the context of the future of work. They adopted a Council decision on guidelines for employment policies and conclusions on gender mainstreaming in the EU budget.2021-10-15T00:00:00+02:00104291https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/09/23-24/2021-09-23T08:30:00+02:00104275https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/07/08-09/2021-07-08T00:00:00+02:00104158https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/06/14-15/Employment, social affairs and health ministers met in Luxembourg. They discussed minimum wages, the follow up of the Porto Social Summit, new challenges for social dialogue and collective bargaining, a reinforced role for the European Medicines Agency in crisis preparedness and access to medicines and medical devices.2021-06-14T00:00:00+02:00104227https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/05/20/2021-05-20T00:00:00+02:00104216https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/04/07/2021-04-07T18:00:00+02:00104186https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/03/16/Health ministers met via video conference to discuss the Europe's beating cancer plan and the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The presidency also informed ministers on the state of play of the European Health Union proposals and the proposal for a health technology assessment regulation.2021-03-16T00:00:00+01:00104147https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/epsco/2021/03/15/Employment and social policies ministers discussed a wide range of files, particularly the employment and social policies in the European Semester, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and equality and non-discrimination policies and initiatives.2021-03-15T00:00:00+01:00