At the latest meeting of the Council of Ministers for Social Policy (EPSCO) under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, held on Monday in Luxembourg, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Marinos Mousiouttas, on Monday morning, marking the completion of a journey of cooperation and a joint European effort toward a Europe that places people at the center of its policies. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of today’s discussion on protecting workers from the effects of climate change.

“Today, at the final Council of Ministers under the Cypriot Presidency, a journey of cooperation and a joint European effort comes to a close. It has been a challenging yet meaningful journey that has shown that Europe can move forward when there is perseverance and a shared vision,” Mr. Mousiouttas said as he arrived at the meeting.

Referring to the priorities of today’s meeting, the Minister of Labor noted that the ministers will examine the Spring Package of the 2026 European Semester and the new country-specific recommendations, with the aim of strengthening the resilience and productivity of European labor markets. “From the start of our Presidency, we have put people at the center and emphasized the need for a Europe that supports its citizens, protects workers, and creates more opportunities for everyone,” he said.

He also referred to the fair mobility of workers and the need to modernize social security rules so that they respond to contemporary labor market conditions. ““We will discuss the future of fair worker mobility in the European Union and how we can adapt social security rules to modern labor markets,” he noted.

Mr. Mousiouttas also emphasized the need to protect workers’ health and safety from the effects of climate change, with particular emphasis on the extreme temperatures currently affecting Europe. “We cannot talk about resilience without ensuring the safety and health of workers. We will discuss how we can protect them more effectively from the impacts of climate change, particularly from their exposure to extreme temperatures in the workplace,” he emphasized.

In conclusion, the Minister reiterated that the goal of all the initiatives promoted during the Cypriot Presidency remains the building of a more social Europe. “There is one common thread running through all our efforts: a Europe that truly ensures fair, safe, and dignified working conditions for everyone,” he said in closing.

Source: KYPE