Brussels, 29/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The tri-partite European Social Summit ended after lunch on Thursday 29 October 2009 with a statement that an over-arching negotiating mandate is required for the UN clime change talks in Copenhagen and a solution must be found in the near future to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty comes into force before the end of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU (31 December 2009). Europe is experiencing a serious financial and economic crisis and this is having a negative impact on jobs and people's lives. The role of the social partners has been strengthened, as has the vital need to continue with the European Commission's Economic Recovery Programme, explained the Swedish prime minister (who was chairing the Council), Fredrik Reinfeldt, speaking to reporters after the tri-partite summit.
Explaining to reporters what an 'over-arching mandate' for the talks to combat climate change, Fredrik Reinfeldt said the mandate had to ensure that the EU could demand a contribution to be made by the countries that attend the Copenhagen talks but that the obstacles to this were in Prague. The Czech constitutional court has decided not to decide until after the Copenhagen Summit, which leaves little time for debate. He said that the Swedish Presidency had to do everything it could to ensure the Lisbon Treaty comes into force before the end of the Swedish Presidency's term of office but the EU was 26 (rather than 27) Member States on this issue. The Czechs have made their criteria for agreeing to the Lisbon Treaty clear and it is now for the other 26 countries to express their views on these criteria.
The main message from the tripartite summit was that everyone had committed to a greener economy and this would provide Europe with an advantage, said the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, hoping that the Copenhagen Summit would end in an outcome that would be shared by all and that the EU would continue to lead the way. He said that there would be a price to be paid for climate change, but it was also an opportunity and Europe had to have an integrated, green economy. There is strength in unity and European Unity would make it possible to get out of the crisis, he added. Barroso pointed out that the EU has always been a pioneer in the fight against climate change but regretted that when it comes to funding, no agreement has yet been reached on a clear response to climate change because the matter was still being discussed. The President of the Commission focussed on the need, in order to ensure economic recovery, to continue with the European Economic Recovery Programme and other recovery measures until the crisis has ended. He said the long-term consequences of excessive budget deficits would be disastrous for the economy and for jobs. Barroso said he therefore wanted the EU to move in the direction of a strong, green and inclusive economy based on new sources of growth and promoting long-lasting and high quality jobs. He said this was not possible without the social partners (employers and trade unions) and he counted on their active support in developing a common vision for 2020.
At the tripartite summit, the EU Social Affairs, Employment and Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Vladimir Spidla, told the social partners that the crisis had demonstrated the vulnerability of the EU economy but had also demonstrated the resilience of the European social model, particularly the importance of welfare systems. For this reason, he said, jobs and social protection measures had to have a place in the new EU strategy for 2020. The Commissioner hoped that together, the summit participants would address the challenge for the future of moving from a crisis management to a long-term growth policy.
The European social partners (ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, CEEP and UEAPME) call for full involvement in defining the EU's strategy for 2020. ETUC Secretary General John Monks said that it was necessary to continue insisting on the financial to plan a good exit from the crisis. He said one had to be absolutely certain that one was well on the way to growth, in the form of employment, job creation and EU coordination of the Member States' recovery programmes - a stronger role for the European Commission, in sum. When it comes to tackling climate change, Europe has moral responsibility, added John Monks, calling for the social impact of transition to a green economy to be examined, insisting that the transition must not be made at the expense of workers. The director general of BUSINESSEUROPE, Philippe de Buck, called for a balance to be maintained between demands to combat climate change and business demands. (G. B. trans fl)