Strasbourg, 14/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Thursday evening (77 to 15 and 9 abstentions) of a resolution common to the EPP-ED, PES, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL Groups on the crisis in the steel sector, the European Parliament reminds Arcelor of its commitment as an enterprise (Arcelor has just announced the closure of its hot mills throughout the group's continental sites, thus entailing thousands of lost jobs throughout Europe). The EP demands that the company assume its social responsibility and that all its continental sites be treated on an equal footing, and not in a discriminatory manner. Stressing that, at the same time, Arcelor is bidding for four continental sites in southern Poland and that the Polish government is contemplating intervention of 2.7 billion zlotys for this, the Parliament calls on the Commission to ensure strict application of the treaties to any aid request made by the Polish government in connection with this operation. The Parliament calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the authorities concerned, to study effective and targeted use of Community funds and above all the European Social Fund, for the vocational training and re-training of the workers concerned. It welcomes the creation of a group of Commissioners (enterprise, trade, competition, enlargement, economic policy, social policy and external policy) chaired by Mr Liikanen to define a coherent reaction given the future difficulties. It requests, however, that Ms Wallström (environment) should also be involved in such tasks. The Parliament calls on the Commission and on Member States to promote innovation, develop new actions aimed at specialisation and quality in this sector also, or foresee plans adapted to conversion. It insists on keeping a strong and modern steel sector in the EU and considers that all subsidies granted within the framework of the public funds should be subject to agreements on employment, local development and investment intended to modernise production. Member States are invited to promote and strengthen social dialogue in respect of national and European legislation with regards worker information and consultation, and to adopt effective measures to protect the trade union representatives.
Making a declaration on behalf of the Commission, Commissioner David Byrne simply recalled the main principles, such as the necessity for companies to seek the least harmful solutions and to foresee, in the context of worker consultation, social accompanying measures in the case of dismissals. After having considered it regrettable that some companies (he cited the case of Métaleurope in northern France) do not respect these principles, he welcomed Arcelor's "different and positive" approach, and said that this company has complied with the rules of worker consultation, has called on outside experts and has provided social accompanying measures.
The speech was greatly criticised by almost all the representatives, beginning with Belgian Christian Democrat Michel Hansenne, who noted that the Commissioner had "stigmatised Métaleurope by praising Arcelor", when the decision to close hot lines had legitimately caused "consternation and anger" in Liège. Belgian Liberal Daniel Ducarme, who stressed that the Commission must be an actor for public management of the steel sector at European level, said the declaration was "indigent". He asked the Commissioner whether: (1) the Commission will intervene to prevent financial aid from the Polish government in the context of repurchase of the sites in Poland, (2) whether it plans to ensure compliance with collective agreements and continue to assume the responsibilities that it had under Articles 3 and 5 of the ECSC Treaty; and (3) what it plans to do to support conversion. French Communist Sylviane Ainardi called for measures guaranteeing better protection of workers, and French Green member Hélène Flautre urged for social Europe to be strengthened in the context of the work of the European Convention. Belgian Socialist Véronique De Keyser also reproached the Commissioner for having presented Arcelor as a "good pupil" and underlined the fact that there was consensus on this issue at the Parliament. She hoped a regulatory framework would be adopted to guarantee the rights of workers at European level and went on to add: "What point is there in Europe being an economic giant if, like the ogre in the fairy tale, it is ready to gobble up its children?"
In answer to this, Commissioner Byrne recalled, among other things, that the ECSC is no longer operational. He also stressed the lack of specific powers at Community level and returned to a number of general considerations. The end of his speech was met with jeering and whistles from trade unionists who followed the debate from the public gallery.