site.btaLabour Minister Attends Meeting of EU Employment, Social Policy Council

Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivanka Shalapatova participated in the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, which was held in Luxembourg, the press centre of the ministry said on Monday. During the forum, the labour ministers of the EU member states adopted a Council Recommendation on the development of framework conditions for the social economy. Speaking on the issue, Minister Shalapatova expressed Bulgaria's full support for the adoption of the Recommendation and stressed that its implementation would support the full development of the potential of the social economy.

She highlighted the key role of social and solidarity economy for the social inclusion of disadvantaged people in society and the labour market. Minister Shalapatova noted that in 2023, social economy will be the key factor in the development of the social economy. Bulgaria assumed the chairmanship of the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration, within the framework of which a high-level international conference on “Social Economy - Inspiring, Innovative, Unifying" was held in Sofia on October 4. As a result, a framework agreement for cooperation in this field is being prepared between Bulgaria and Spain.

The meeting discussed the impact of new technologies on labour with a view to ensuring a fair digital transition, as well as opportunities to further consolidate and strengthen European social protection systems.