Brussels, 13/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Industry Antonio Tajani held a first meeting with representatives of the European social partners in Brussels on Thursday 13 January to learn of their ideas, suggestions and criticisms of implementation of industrial policy. The meeting, described by all those who took part as very positive and open, discussed major issues such as standardisation, the Small Business Act (SBA), social dialogue, restructuring of large companies, training and, in passing, FIAT.
Following the meeting, Tajani set out his thoughts for EUROPE on what he feels essential to competitiveness.
(1) Education, which is key for the competitiveness of business, and skills, a key issue in education. Tajani said that he and Education Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou are working closely together to organise a major education event, which is likely to take place in spring of this year.
(2) Restructuring of firms. The involvement of trade unions and workers is essential in this process. Tajani said he was “firmly convinced that, for there to be a competitive industrial policy in an era of globalisation, everyone has to be involved, not just business people, but also workers, families, local bodies and all that goes on around the company. In the face of globalisation, SMEs (small and medium-sized companies) have to internationalise”.
(3) The market. “What I think is that the guiding line is the market social economy. The market is the key point, the instrument to make social policy. It's the Lisbon Treaty. It was my own position, even before the Lisbon Treaty! That is why I am so strongly committed to it.”
(4) FIAT. “What has happened in Italy is a good example of social dialogue”. For Pomigliano and Mirafiori, agreement was reached with all the unions apart from the FIOM. A referendum was held at Mirafiori on Thursday and the workers said yes. “I think that if production is to be protected, the key point for competitiveness - without competitiveness it is impossible to keep jobs - is to try to improve the company's situation by involving everyone in the social dialogue”.
(5) Foreign investment is welcome but “I'm against protectionism. We have to make sure that, behind this foreign investment, there is nothing lurking which might be called theft of 'know-how'. It's for that reason that I am thinking about a system similar to the one in the United States. There is a difference between protectionism and protecting the system. I want to protect the system, jobs - because if there is no company, there are no jobs”.
BusinessEurope Director General Philippe de Buck was pleased that this meeting will be followed by others, every three or four months as Tajani announced, coinciding with each new communication, such as the one being prepared with Vassiliou. De Buck also highlighted the “vast amount of work done with the trade unions”. Employers and unions do not agree on everything. BusinessEurope is prepared to resume discussion but not to renegotiate. The texts are there: European works councils and the information-consultation directive, de Buck added.
ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) Secretary General John Monks welcomed the launch of the social partners' engagement in this aspect of European work. “The ETUC is particularly keen to see Europe invest heavily in infrastructure and sustainable technology and to improve its handling of restructurings”.
Andrea Banassi, Secretary General of the UEAPME (crafts and SMEs) said that this meeting had been a first step towards implementing the new industrial policy which will be set out at the end of the month. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to put the policy towards SMEs at the heart of industrial policy.” Benassi was pleased that discussions on energy had concentrated on research, because “without research we can't work on renewable energy”. “It is also in our direct interests, not just those of society.” With regard to standardisation, Benassi stated that more attention had to be granted to SMEs in the field of trade. He concluded: “The communication on industrial policy was well received generally. Only a few minor points were raised to suggest improvements”. (G.B./transl.rt)