Brussels, 06/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Measures adopted at the next European Council should above all aim at investment in order to support sustainable growth. Such was the message delivered on Monday 5 December by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to the leaders of the European Union. ETUC considers that making amendments to the treaty is not an immediate priority.
Based on the fact that responses so far have not managed to address the financial crisis, the authors of the letter sent to the leaders of the EU - Bernadette Ségol and Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, ETUC General Secretary and ETUC President respectively - called for large-scale action by the European Central Bank, mutual aid in the form of eurobonds, a tax on financial transactions, and measures aimed at combating tax fraud.
While Paris and Berlin hope to begin review of the European treaties, the two ETUC representatives consider that, “in current circumstances, changing the Treaty is not an immediate priority. Constructive solutions to meet the existential threat the Union faces can and should be found within the current texts”. The letter from ETUC goes on to read: “ETUC support for Treaty modifications cannot be taken for granted. We reiterate our demand for a social protocol to be attached to the Treaty. Acceptance of any change will be dependent on the respect of democratic processes and the recognition and handling of social consequences. We do not accept that the changes we understand are being discussed can be disguised as technical amendments. In all cases, collective bargaining rights and the autonomy of the social partners must be respected”. (JK/transl.jl)