Brussels, 22/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The "Trade Union Coordination Group" (gathered last week in Strasbourg, under the Presidency of the MEP Stephen Hughes ESP UK and with the participation of the President of the EP Employment and Social Affairs Committee Michel Rocard ESP, France) prepared for the Nice Summit. Presenting the state of progress of the works of the IGC and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany) recalled that the European Parliament wanted for a reference to be made to Article 6 of the EU Treaty. The representative of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Erik Carlslund re-explained the position of the ETUC over the IGC, his hope that the Charter is legally binding and included in the Treaty, and added that it would call for the enforcement of qualified majority as a general rule for European Social Policy (see EUROPE of 8 November, p.16). Furthermore, referring to certain comments by the Danish press on the demonstration organised by the ETUC next 6 December in Nice, on the even of the Summit, according to which the British would be opposed, Erik Carlslund insisted on the "positive aim of this demonstration" through which "the ETUC calls on Heads of State and Government to adopt a wide ranging social action programme in the next five years, to concretise the principals and rights included in the Charter, to create more numerous jobs and of better quality and to fight discrimination, inequalities and social exclusion". The French Presidency presented a new very ambitious document on the Social Agenda, which the ETUC fully supports", continued Carlslund. This document "grants greater importance to the information and consultation of workers as well as the status of a European public limited company, but he is criticised by some Member States, notably Germany and the UK. The latter called for the withdrawal of nearly half of the Presidency's demands", noted Erik Carlslund.
In conclusion, Elmar Brok underlined that "the meeting showed that very little progress had been achieved in the IGC dossier" and that " the ETUC wants for a convention to discuss all these issue after the Nice Summit".
The trade union coordination group brings together the members of five political groups (PES, EPP/ED, ELDR, Greens and GUE/NGL), as well as the representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation.