Brussels, 27/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - Among the many contributions being made by civil society to the proceedings of the European Convention, economic and business interests generally expect Europe to defend with a single voice its economic interests in its dealings with its partners.
French employers: strengthening Europe's economic role in the international arena
Medef has submitted seven recommendations to the Convention, designed to give Europe the means that match its ambitions: (1) consolidate Europe's economic role in the international arena through a single economic and monetary representation and a single trade representation with greater powers; (2) strengthen practical arrangements for decision-making, particularly through a constitution that incorporates European Treaty provisions and those of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, a better definition of the division of powers between the EU and the States, and the general use of majority voting on all issues under the Community's competence; (3) improve European economic governance, primarily through Europe's asserting itself as an economic governance body; (4) improve the single market by proceeding with the tax harmonisation required for the proper functioning of the market; (5) organise the European research area; (6) set in place the European security and defence policy, in particular by supporting the harmonisation of military needs; (7) involve civil society, for example, through the promotion of social dialogue and the recognition of the global nature of the economic, environmental and social aspects of questions coming under the Community's competence (concept of sustainable and socially responsible development).
Commerce: establishing more independent and better structured sector-based dialogue
EuroCommerce has put forward a contribution that formulates proposals to improve social dialogue at European level. Its key messages can be summarized as follows: (1) European social dialogue should reflect genuine market forces (in this respect, EuroCommerce calls for a guarantee that it will keep its seat in the "economic and social consultation body" launched at the Laeken Summit); (2) there is a need to establish a more independent and better structured sector-based social dialogue, i.e.: - the list of social issues to be addressed at European level should be drawn up by the social partners for the sector they represent on the basis of a joint agenda and a work programme presented to the European Commission; - the sectoral social partners should also be consulted prior to meetings of the Social Affairs Council; (3) there is a need for greater participation by the social partners in the preliminary stages of Community initiatives so as to obtain results that correspond as closely as possible to social and economic realities. In so far as the EU must react rapidly to developments on the market and changes in working relations, EuroCommerce considers that it would be advisable to have systematic recourse to the open coordination method.
German employers: stronger European social dialogue
The German employers' organisations (BDI and BDA) highlight the following in their contribution: (1) there must be respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; (2) majority voting must become the rule in the EU after enlargement, with the exception of certain issues of constitutional significance or for especially sensitive areas such as social policy; (3) social dialogue at European level must be strengthened and a clear distinction made between this type of dialogue and civil dialogue (i.e. dialogue with civil society).
Agricultural organisations: sustainable agriculture for all Europeans
In their strategy paper outlining their view of the future, the EU agricultural organisations call for the introduction of a "better model for reform of the CAP" . Copa and Cogeca submit that sustainable agriculture and the European single market are only feasible if the CAP is internally coherent and effectively reconciled with or mainstreamed into other policies related to agriculture (notably trade, budget and environmental policies). Moreover, a coherent architecture for the CAP necessitates three complementary policy components, namely: - a price and market policy guaranteeing that there are no distortions on the single market and that all production respects sustainability criteria; - an effective policy of agri-rural development; - production that contributes to the quality of life and offers high added-value to respond to consumers' needs. Copa and Cogeca also call for including energy supply policy within a global concept of sustainability and they invite all their partners with an interest in the food chain (public authorities and political leaders, consumers, distributors, processors, suppliers, etc.) to engage in a dialogue aimed at establishing a new set of agreements to take up the challenges of the 21st century.