Brussels / Ghent, 24/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - As EUROPE has already reported (see yesterday's issue, page 3), British and Belgian Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Guy Verhofstadt presented on Wednesday afternoon in Ghent a joint statement on the Lisbon European Council of 23-24 March. This 15-point statement, which incorporates certain priorities already laid down in the Portuguese Presidency's paper for the summit and in the Spanish "non-paper", insists on the concept of "active welfare states" and the complementarity of economic policies, employment policies and policies for social cohesion. The United Kingdom and Belgium assert that cooperation at European level on these issues can "add value": "There is much to be gained by learning from each other", especially if "the process is facilitated by independent, well informed analysis" and guidance undertaken by an effective European Commission. The Lisbon Summit must set objectives with clear benchmarking of Member States' progress in achieving them, which implies the establishment of reliable performance indicators in various fields: economic and monetary policy, employment, social cohesion and innovation. The statement outlines three areas of work:
1. Strengthening the EU employment strategy. "We want all Member States to set an ambitious goal to work towards full employment … and a significant increase in the employment rate", state the British and Belgian Governments. Noting that Europe "is more than a market", the statement suggests a "new mix of employment and social policies" based on: - an "active" welfare state that "makes work pay" ("We believe in work for those who can and social protection for those who cannot", reads the statement); - programmes to reintegrate into the labour market certain target groups; - a commitment to combat social exclusion; - recognition of the role of investment in education, skills and lifelong learning; - encouraging choice in employment, including greater choice in patterns and hours of work where necessary; - development of the sectors that "will be a key source of new jobs", such as services, the social economy, environmental protection and new information and communication technology.
2. Modernising social policy. "We look to agree shared objectives on a European level" which will make a difference (on social exclusion, for example) and which Member States can pursue by learning from each other's best practice, notes the statement, going on to say that "welfare systems must be a springboard for employment rather than simply a safety net". According to the statement, the Lisbon Summit should take an important step in the field of social inclusion and poverty and strengthen the process launched in Luxembourg by adding initiatives on social inclusion. In addition, Member States should undertake to set common goals and objectives and to prepare new national actions plans to tackle social exclusion and poverty by the end of this year. The Lisbon Council should: a) launch a strategy of modernising social protection based on the four broad objectives defined by the Labour and Social Affairs Council, namely: to make work pay and to provide secure income, to make pensions safe and pension systems sustainable, to promote social inclusion, to ensure high quality and sustainable health care; b) call on the Group of High Level Officials established by the Labour and Social Affairs Council to report to the European Council in December 2000 in Nice on the establishment of benchmarks and procedures for the objective of tackling the complex causes of social exclusion and poverty.
3. Developing a small firms charter that sets out what European small and medium-sized businesses have a right to expect, namely: - a positive environment for entrepreneurs to develop and reward risk-taking; - better access to competitive forms of finance for investment; - improved training; - greater access to technology; - better access to administrations through modern communication techniques.
"We do not intend to fix binding standards. We prefer to opt for a system of benchmarking on social cohesion as well, which is not self-evident", said Guy Verhofstadt in his remarks on Wednesday afternoon in Ghent. He went on to note that it is no mere coincidence "that it is precisely a Social Democrat from the British islands and a Liberal from the old continent" making this contribution. Lisbon must show that opposition between the Atlantic and Rhineland models can be surmounted, said the Belgian Prime Minister, for whom "a new social synthesis is taking shape and this synthesis is the active welfare state", which "considers employment to be the best form of social protection and human fulfilment".