Meeting with the European Commissioner: Should we seek more Europe on social matters?

Press release, 22 October 2021

 

A joint meeting of 21 October 2021 of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs and the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labour with Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, addressed an ideological question whether more Europe should be sought on social matters.

Photo by Džoja Gunda Barysaitė, Office of the Seimas

 

Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, pointed out that the focus on social issues in the meeting room of the Committee on European Affairs was as strong as ever: ‘One of the discussion issues in the public sphere is whether we need to move towards more Europe on social matters. The Conference on the Future of Europe is also an opportunity to discuss this topic. Understandably, any possible theoretical and practical changes in Europe would have both their own advantages and disadvantages, and we need to talk about them. [...] We are glad that in Lithuania we can pay more attention to the most socially vulnerable groups; they are among the priorities in the Lithuanian budget for the coming year. It is true that Lithuania, like Europe as a whole, faces challenges, such as the rising energy prices, the COVID-19 pandemic and others, but together we can tackle these challenges. We need to see what we are currently doing both at national and EU levels’.

Photo by Džoja Gunda Barysaitė, Office of the Seimas

 

Mindaugas Lingė, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labour, said that the Committee under his leadership had deliberated on all social initiatives of the European Commission that were on the meeting’s agenda.  

 

Commissioner Schmit underlined that the social dimension was one of the key aspects of the European project. He emphasised that by the European Social Rights Pillar adopted in 2017 and the Porto declaration endorsed at the Porto Social Summit (Portugal) on 7 May this year, the EU leaders committed to strengthening the social dimension by moving towards greater social convergence in Europe.

 

The meeting exchanged views on the European Commission’s proposal for a directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union. Commissioner Schmit pointed out that the aim of the proposal was to ensure that employed Europeans could live with dignity from their work. Minimum wages should reflect the economic reality of individual Member States and therefore the principles for achieving this objective were proposed to them. According to Mr Lingė, Lithuania supports the proposal and has already established the criteria for the minimum monthly wage.

 

Politicians also discussed the ways to come out of the grip of the pandemic as soon as possible, so that the whole world can return to normal life and avoid excessive and meaningless deaths. According to the European Commissioner, vaccination is the most effective means to overcome the pandemic, save as many lives as possible, prevent national economies from stopping and ensure that our societies do not close again. Mr Schmit said that if people refuse to get vaccinated, we could assume that this was their choice, but we must test them and then the test should not necessarily be free of charge. This does not mean the state’s reluctance to pay for this service, but means fighting the pandemic, which is a vital issue at the moment.

 

The meeting also touched upon such questions as the hybrid attack against Lithuania and neighbouring countries and migration. Mr Schmit stressed it was totally unacceptable that irregular migrants were weaponised to divide Europe.

 

Members of the Seimas and the Commissioner also discussed matters pertaining to statistical data, social housing, pensions, employment of vulnerable persons, social exclusion, and the rule of law. 

 

At the end of the meeting, the Commissioner was thanked for the meeting and for the European Commission’s support to address hybrid attack, migration, pandemic and other issues.

 

European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit payed an official visit to Lithuania on 21–22 October. He also had meetings with the President of the Republic, Speaker of the Seimas, Minister of Social Security and Labour, Vice-Minister of Education, and social partners, and participated in the conference ‘COVID-19 pandemic and chronic social policy diseases: achievements and recipes for success’ organised by the Department of Social Policy of the Faculty of Philosophy at Vilnius University.

Photo by Džoja Gunda Barysaitė, Office of the Seimas

 

Agnė Grigienė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on European Affairs, tel. +370 5 239 6830

 

Dalia Aleksejūnienė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on Social Affairs and Labour, tel. +370 5 239 6776