Informal meeting of employment and social affairs ministers (EPSCO)

Presentation slides now available!

Topics

Disability and chronic disease Labour market participation Social policies

When?

5 July 2026 - 6 July 2026

Where?

Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland

Event type

In-person

An informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for employment and social affairs takes place on 5 and 6 July in Ballina, County Mayo, with contributions from Eurofound's Executive Director Ivailo Kalfin.

Event background

Ireland’s Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, chairs the meeting.
The informal meeting brings together ministers from the EU Member States, representatives of the European Commission and invited participants, including European social partners, to discuss shared employment and social policy priorities across the European Union.
Ivailo Kalfin, Eurofound’s Executive Director takes part and presents at the informal meeting on the topic of addressing the disability employment gap for a more inclusive and competitive EU. Eurofound has also prepared a Background Paper which has been circulated to participants in advance of the informal meeting and is now available for download:

7 July 2026

Disability employment policy tools for engaging employers - Background paper

This background paper looks at the EU policy context regarding the labour market participation of persons with disabilities, reviews the main barriers behind the disability employment gap and outlines policy tools and workplace practices supporting their employment, retention and career development.

Customised report

The informal format of the meeting facilitates strategic dialogue and the exchange of perspectives ahead of formal EPSCO Council meetings in October and December.

The presentation is available for download below.

PDF document