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The starting point for the discussion was the concept of flexicurity, which is at the heart of the EU's social and labour market strategy and of the ILO's Global Employment Agenda. The goal was to contribute to a strengthening of national labour market institutions in the region and thus support the countries' aspirations for future EU membership.

Flexicurity as a political strategy aims at achieving the highest possible security for workers in an era of increased competition due to globalization and the resulting need for structural adjustment. As EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidla put it, "Flexicurity doesn't mean job security but security of the individual through various stages of employment. The objective is not to avoid redundancies but to make sure that those who lose their job find another as quickly as possible and receive income support in the meantime. This requires ongoing investment in education and training and active support for job seekers. Such an approach is also in the interest of enterprises, since they need a workforce that is both flexible and skilled".

from www.ilo.org