Strasbourg, 21/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the report by the Swedish Social-Democrat Jan Andresson last week (397 in favour, 69 against and 51 abstentions) on the European Commission's communication relating to the concerted strategy for modernising social protection, the European Parliament stated that the "Luxembourg Process" needs developing and simplifying, and include the modernisation of social protection, and calls on the European Commission to present a social action pogramme comprising an implementing timetable. Parliament stresses that the social convergence programme is absolutely "inseparable from effective and ambitious tax coordination". It urges the Commission, in case of the "rejection of the guidelines" (on employment) to propose a "code of conduct to combat unfair competition in the field of social protection and taxation".
By (only just - 267 in favour, 250 against and 19 abstentions) an amendment tabled by Christian-Democrats, Messrs. Menrad and Pronk, Parliament also urges the Commission to submit an evaluation to determine whether a tax on energy or emissions could be an appropriate way to fund social security systems in the long term".