Greek Minister of Labour, Social Security and Welfare, Yannis Vroutsis presented yesterday the priorities of the Greek Presidency in the fields of Employment and Social Policy, at the EU Employment and Social Policy Council, in Brussels. According to Vroutsis, "our first priority is the promotion of employment and especially youth employment. The Greek Presidency will focus on speeding up the implementation of actions relating to the "Initiative for the Youth" and monitoring the implementation of national projects relating to "Youth guarantee."

He added that "this policy objective is founded on the Social Clause of the Treaty, according to which the entire applied European policy should be evaluated in light of its social implications." In the context of strengthening the Social Dimension, "the Greek Presidency aims to enrich the European Agenda with issues such as ensuring adequate and sustainable social protection for the aging population and the unemployment, and addressing social challenges such as undeclared work and poverty," the Minister said.

At the Health and Consumer Affairs Council, which was held in Brussels on December 10, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis presented the priorities of Greece's EU presidency in this sector; the Greek presidency will focus on the economic crisis and its repercussions on health systems, immigration for health, electronic prescription (e-health) and issues concerning diet and exercise. An emphasis will be placed on electronic prescriptions and the problems faced by citizens living in isolated regions.