Brussels, 08/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - Given the extreme importance of the extraordinary summit in Lisbon and its long term implications for the modernisation of the European economy, the President of UNICE (European employers) Geroges Jacobs presented to the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Gutterres the contribution from his organisation to the summit (see EUROPE of 3 March, p.12). So UNICE presented an action plan for the structural and economic reforms, his priorities for education policies and professional training that develop competitivity and employment as well as a separate stance on e-commerce (on which EUROPE will return).
The new economy and the speed of the communication revolution creats new challenges and opportunities for companies, but politicians are slow in bringing answers. The performance of Europe in terms of employment remains displeasing. It remains that the EU must speed up the structural reforms of all the markets, which will be on the agenda of the Summit on the 23 and 24 March, explained UNIVCE while formulating its priorities, i.e.: - maximise the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as the benefits of EMU (new discipline and opportunities); - use to the fullest the potential offered by the internal market; - create more work for more people; - improve the efficiency of research and development spending, the system of marketing new ideas, the system of obtaining intellectual property rights, the level of education and training of individuals so that they may answer the needs created by innovation; - help everyone to take part in continuous training programmes so as to improve their employability; - develop flexibility in the employment market, in fields such as the managing of working hours, recruitment, dismissal, remuneration and outsourcing (global communication services); - guarantee that the innovators who perceive a share of their revenues in the form of stock option are not to heavily penalised; - simplify access of innovating companies to sources of finance.
Another crucial point for Europe to face the new challenges, is to literally carry out a "knowledge revolution," explained the Secretary General of UNICE Dirk Hudig in his introduction to the employer contribution on "education and professional training." This revolution, that must go together with the structural and economic reforms, implies the creation of apprenticeship strategies throughout a life and with regard to this UNICE feels that you must: - improve basic education so as to be able to establish the basis of a life long training; - define the role and the responsibilities of all the actors concerned: governments, teachers, trainers, companies and persons as individuals. It is necessary to reform, in partnership with all the actors quoted, systems, structures and methods of teaching and training to better respond to the requirements of the employment market, in the interests of both the employees and employers.