PURPOSE : to establish a social Protection Committee.
CONTENT : The Social Protection Committee was established by Council Decision 2000/436/EC.
Following the entry into force of the Treaty of Nice on 1 February 2003, a Social Protection Committee with additional tasks has to replace the existing Committee of the same name, in order to permit the work already done by the latter to be continued.
Decision 2000/436/EC will therefore be repealed as from the date on which the new Social Protection Committee takes up its functions.
This proposal seeks the establishment of a Social Protection Committee to promote co-operation on social protection policies between Member States and with the Commission.
The tasks of the Committee will be:
- to monitor the social situation and the development of social protection policies in the Member States and the Community;
- to promote exchanges of information, experience and good practice between Member States and with the Commission;
- without prejudice to Article 207 of the Treaty, to prepare reports, formulate opinions or undertake other work within its fields of competence, at the request of either the Council or the Commission or on its own initiative.
In addition:
- the Committee has to work in cooperation with other committees such as the employment Committee and the Economic Policy Committee;
- it must establish contact with the social partners;
- it will consist of two representatives of the Member States and two representatives of the Commission;
- the chairman will be elected for a non-renewable term of two years;
- the Commission will provide analytical and organisational support for the Committee. It will liaise with the general Secretariat of the Council with regard to holding meetings.�