Brussels, 03/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - CEEP, organisation that brings together at European level partly State-owned companies and those of a general economic interest (public services: Ed.), has approved the idea of including a specific provision in the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights on public services ("The Union must respect access to services of a general interest as provided for by national laws and practices"). The reference to national laws and practices, however, disappoints CEEP as it leave it up to Member States to decide whether or not to provide for such services, whereas it would have been preferable to recognise equal access for all to these services as being one of the foremost of these fundamental rights.
CEEP Secretary General Jytte Fredensborg considers that "this is not in harmony with the latest initiatives taken by the Union, be it at the Lisbon Summit, or that of Feira or during the high level Forum held in Brussels, and in which "the importance of services of a general interest, as element of the model of European society was clearly reaffirmed".