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The Summit seeks to act as a link between the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the social partners. The Prime Minister emphasised that investment and high-quality jobs are essential pre-conditions for further growth in Europe.
"The economies of the EU Member States are recovering slowly from the crisis, with only a gradual increase in the number of jobs in some Member States. The involvement of all parties in the preparation, adoption and implementation of decisions is essential in order to take equal account of the interests of both employees and employers, and to help address the challenges of long-term unemployment and poverty," noted Laimdota Straujuma when discussing Europe's economic future.
The Prime Minister reported on the achievements of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union - in record time, the Council of the European Union has examined the proposal for the Regulation on a European Fund for Strategic Investments. Laimdota Straujuma was confident that the negotiations with the European Parliament on this issue will also be concluded during the Latvian Presidency.
In the context of the Investment Plan, Laimdota Straujuma stressed that the social partners play a vital role in mobilising private investment and contributing to growth and competitiveness in the European Union, as well as in creating new, high-quality jobs for European citizens.
At the same time, it is important not to consider the Investment Plan in isolation from other financial options. "In order to achieve better results, successful use should be made of the synergy between the European Fund for Strategic Investments and other European Union funds and programmes, particularly the Structural Funds, as well as with national, public and private funding sources. It is also necessary to remember the need to promote access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises," said the Prime Minister.
According to Laimdota Straujuma, the quality of jobs has not been adequately evaluated in recent years. There is a link between low-quality insecure jobs and inequality, in-work poverty and social exclusion.
The Prime Minister drew attention to the importance of lifelong learning: "In the context of technological change and digitalisation, lifelong learning becomes increasingly important and brings people closer to higher quality jobs."
The Minister for Welfare, Uldis Augulis, and the social partners from Latvia also spoke at the Summit.
Statement by Laimdota Straujuma at the press conference following the meeting:
