The concept of flexicurity has moved rapidly to the centre of debate at European level, with the European Commission arguing that the pressures of globalisation and demographic change demand greater flexibility in labour markets. At the same time, the Commission concedes that any moves in this direction should be accompanied by measures to improve workers’ employment protection and social security. The key question addressed is how much flexibility and how much security combine to make up the ideal ‘flexicurity’ strategy.
Flexicurity was the theme of a workshop organised by Forum Malta fl-Ewropa and Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit on 18th June at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. This workshop was the fourth in a series organised as part of the Say EU And…Action! Project, which consists of a series of workshops/debates on a variety of topics. Immigration, Research and Innovation, and Energy have already been covered in previous sessions. This Plan D project targets the general public and is of particular interest to youth and women and organisations representing their interests.
The keynote speaker was Beata Zaborowska from the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities who explained the contents of the Commission’s Communication on Flexicurity issued in July 2007. She was followed by Lucy Pace Gouder from ETC who provided insight into the findings of studies carried out on family-friendly measures. The programme of the workshop also included a public discussion during which reactions/interventions were made from the floor.