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Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) works to improve living and working conditions and ensure a high level of health protection in the EU.

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council adopts legislation and policy guidelines that aim to improve wellbeing, working conditions, social inclusion, gender equality and public health in the EU.

It also approves the employment and social aspects of the European Semester.

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Areas of work of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

The Council promotes gender equality, non-discrimination, and equal opportunities across the EU, ensuring fair treatment for all Europeans.

The Council develops policies that support workers' rights, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and protection from exploitation.

The Council shapes social policies that aim to reduce poverty, improve social inclusion, and enhance social protection for vulnerable groups.

The Council improves public health by setting standards for healthcare access, disease prevention, and medicine availability across the EU.

How the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council works

Depending on the agenda, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meets in three different compositions.

Employment

The EPSCO Council (Employment) gathers ministers for employment. They focus on labour market policies, creating jobs, reducing unemployment, and improving working conditions across the EU.

Social Policy

The EPSCO Council (Social Policy) is composed of social affairs and equality ministers. They meet to coordinate social welfare policies, focusing on reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion, and ensuring equal access to social protection for vulnerable groups.

Health

The EPSCO Council (Health) consists of health ministers. They focus on public health, disease prevention, crisis preparedness and ensuring access to high-quality healthcare for all EU citizens.

There are usually at least four Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meetings a year. Two of the meetings are generally devoted exclusively to employment and social policy topics. The relevant European commissioners also participate in the meetings.

The work of the EPSCO Council is prepared by Coreper I and several specialised working parties focusing on areas including employment, social affairs and public health.

Work programme during the Irish presidency

The Irish presidency focuses on quality of life, social inclusion, equal rights and fair economic growth by promoting a resilient and cohesive European social model that provides a solid foundation for boosting skills and innovation.

It aims to advance equality reforms, support a more socially inclusive society and promote high-quality jobs by ensuring that workers and employers are equipped to thrive in modern labour markets.

The presidency also wants to improve access to high-quality healthcare and support innovation in life sciences and digital health.

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meetings

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Press contacts

  • Emma O'Driscoll Press officer

    Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs; Education, Youth, Culture and Sport

  • +32 475 88 48 33
  • +32 2 281 48 10
  • @eo_press

If you are not a journalist, please send your request to the public information service.

All Council configurations

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Last review: 2 July 2026