Flexicurity concept and implementation of Lithuanian opportunities in employment policy

Europos Vadovų Taryba priėmė Užimtumo lankstumo ir saugumo garantijų bendruosius principus, padėsiančius valstybėms narėms įgyvendinti užimtumo politiką. ES valstybių narių neįpareigojantys dokumentai sukelia skirtingą užimtumo lankstumo ir saugumo sampratos interpretaciją. Šiame straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti „flexicurity“ sampratą bei lankstumo ir saugumo pusiausvyros įgyvendinimo galimybes Lietuvoje. Taip pat nagrinėjami teisinio reguliavimo ypatumai nustatant lankstumo ir saugumo santykį bei valstybės vaidmuo įtvirtinant jį, pateikti siūlymai dėl lankstumo ir saugumo derinimo plėtojant Lietuvos užimtumo politiką.Special "flexicurity" (English compound from "flexibility" and "security") term has been used since the middle of the 1990’s. Most authors think that this phenomenon should be related to the success of Denmark and Netherlands, where after the enactment of appropriate acts (for example, "The Flexibility and Security Act" of the Netherlands and Act on the Distribution of Workers by Agents) and the operation of labor unions, the unemployment level was reduced significantly. However, as T. Wilthagen and F. Tros state, "flexicurity" is the first and most important concept/strategy in the employment policy as such and it has been applied in most of the states. Until 2006 this term has been discussed basically only among narrow academic layers. Nowadays, this term is included in the European Agenda, since, in 2006-2007 "flexicurity" became a fundamental element in the Europe-wide debates, first of all on employment policy and on social and economic policy overall. However, as a result of absence of corresponding conditions, the transition of the experience of Northern countries to other states was impossible. For example, there were no active labour unions, beneficial tax policy and etc. During two last decades one of the main objectives of European policy became a task to increase both labour market flexibility and the security of employees. Now used term "flexicurity" has obtained its real meaning only since 2006, when European Council noticed that European Employment Strategy enacted in 1997 did not bear any consolable results and decided to reform it. In 2007, after the establishment of Common Principles of Flexicurity, this topic evoked many scientific researches (T. Wilthagen, S. Bekker, S. Kloste, M. J. Huiskamp, K. J. Vos, Dale T. Mortensen and others) and other assessments. Latest scientific research was dedicated to the analysis of issues on "flexicurity" implementation, state practice and etc. However, there weren’t a lot such works, since too little time passed in order to see the effectiveness and change of the latter principles in the field of employment. The more especially as economic crisis of the world put a spoke in the wheel of both tendentious economic and employment development. Determination of legal regulation of flexicurity is a very complicated process, because the flexibility and security for safeguarding the interests of representing the interests of different actors: employers, employees and the state. This article will analyse EU common principles of flexicurity. There will also be considered the determination of the regulatory features of the relationship between flexibility and security, the state’s role in strengthening it, and formulation of proposals for the "flexibility" and "security" in the harmonization of the Lithuanian employment policy for improvement