Brussels, 11/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The new European social agenda presented on Wednesday by Commissioner Vladimir Spidla (see EUROPE of 10 February, pages 7 and 8), gave rise to a variety of reactions depending on whether they came from employers, trade unionists or politicians.
In a press release, fiery British Labour member Stephen Hughes, MEP, welcomes the document's integrated approach to social policy, feeling that it is important for social policy to be built into issues such as the internal market, industry and competition policy. In his view, however, there are two significant failings in Commissioner Spidla's proposal “on which the Socialist Group will continue to campaign”. “First”, he explains, “there are not enough specific legislative proposals to ensure that social policy ideas are put into effect. Second, the EU's social policy agenda should focus more on the need to reform the social model and make it sustainable for the future”, and “it needs to be adapted to current, atypical forms of employment”.
John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), feels reassured mainly after the concern expressed further to the publication of the Commission's document on a “New Strategy for Growth and Employment” (see EUROPE of 4 February, p.11). The trade-unionist said that the agenda is positive in so far as it puts restructuring and the promotion of European works councils back on the agenda as instruments for facing up to globalisation. He expressed genuine satisfaction that this social agenda also develops important measures such as gender equality, anti-discrimination, the inter-generational dimension and, above all, the European youth initiative.
On the other hand, the inclusion in the social agenda of restructuring and the promotion of European works councils, as well as an optional European framework for collective cross-border negotiation and the relocation of business or the codification of legislation on worker information and consultation is not greatly appreciated by the association of business leaders in Europe (UNICE). UNICE Secretary General Philippe de Buck states: - the best way to address legitimate concerns about negative social consequences lies in devising policies to help workers to adapt their skills and to promote the creation of new jobs; - second consultation of the social partners on restructuring and European works councils will undermine the current work of the social partners in the framework of the EU social dialogue on those issues; - there is no need for an additional layer of EU collective bargaining over and above the national, sectoral, regional or company level. “The Commission is walking a very thin line. The content of future Commission proposals on these four highly sensitive issues will be crucial to demonstrate a real change of approach”, Philippe de Buck concluded.
Hans-Werner Müller, Secretary General of UEAPME (Union of SME and craft industry) expressed concern about a number of proposals of directive on social matters, such as that on data protection, as they could increase the already very high administrative cost for SMEs. In his view, all new legislation should comply with the principle of better regulation in the document presented by the Commission on 2 February. Müller also noted that the burden of red tape in Europe is damaging for SMEs and must be reduced, not increased.