Brussels, 11/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - “You already won me over when, at the Berlin conference in November 2004, you emphasised the importance of the cultural dimension for the EU”: it was in these terms that Anne-Marie Sigmund welcomed Commission President José Manuel Barroso to the stage at the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to present the Commission's programme for 2005-2009 (see EUROPE of 2 December, p.17). Nonetheless, the President of the EESC said that she was disappointed because the EESC is mentioned only once in the programme. “Should I take it that our cooperation with the Commission is self-evident?”, she asked. Mr Barroso reassured her that this was indeed the case, and acknowledged that “we should have mentioned it specifically”.
In his speech, Mr Barroso launched an appeal for “the EESC to be fully involved in implementing the Commission's programme in a spirit of good cooperation”. It is “particularly desirable” that the cooperation protocol signed in 2001 by the then-Presidents of the Commission and the EESC Romano Prodi and Göke Frerichs (see EUROPE of 1 December 2001, among others) be “renewed and strengthened”, particularly “from a political point of view”, said Mr Barroso, emphasising the “political challenges to which the EESC is well-adapted”: governance, EU enlargement (following the successful integration of 97 new members from the new Member States) an the Constitution (following the introduction of participatory democracy). Finally, Mr Barroso said: “with regard to the two main parts of our cooperation, programming and follow-up, I think that we should make an effort to define better the real priority themes”.
The Plenary gave a positive welcome to the proposals made by Mr Barroso. The Presidents of the Employers Group Giacomo Regaldo and the Others Group Staffan Nilsson gave particular emphasis to the problems posed by the services and REACH (chemical products) legislation, and the importance of maintaining consumer confidence, and they called on President Barroso, whose “initiative is going in the right direction”, to act so that we move from “on paper to in reality”. The President of the Workers Group Mario Sepi made the same appeal, and also asked that European citizens be made aware that “alongside the Europe of the economy and competitiveness, there is also a social Europe”. Various concerns were raised during the debate, notably employment, monetary stability and the independence of the ECB. In response, Mr Barroso said:
1. Constitution. “We have an obligation to talk about what concerns the citizens who want to know whether our institutions are interested in what interests them, but also what is in the interests of the growth of our economy”. The drafts on services and REACH and the “new Lisbon strategy” tackle issues which are of concrete interest to the people, said the President, who asserted: “I can promise you that the Commission wants to work with you towards the necessary reforms”.
2. Lisbon strategy. “It is the most important thing in order to achieve our permanent objectives, which cannot be disputed: economic growth, prosperity, welfare, sustainable development, social cohesion. To guarantee these objectives, we need more dynamic growth”, said Mr Barroso, sending out an urgent message: “We must do more for growth by guaranteeing each citizen a job. This does not mean that we should forget about combating poverty. Work is linked to personal dignity”.
3. Services and REACH proposals. These have “good objectives. We all believe in liberalising services. We all want to protect consumers against the risks posed by chemical products and protect the environment. The Commission is trying, along with its partners - the European Parliament, the Council - to find solutions which maintain these objectives”, Mr Barroso repeated.
4. Competitiveness/industry. Mr Barroso is concerned about companies relocating to China, India or the USA, because this involves job losses in Europe. “We must create conditions which attract people here. I refuse to let industry leave Europe. The social partners must help maintain our European social model and make it more competitive”.
5. Euro/ECB independence. Mr Barroso welcomed the “undeniable success” of the euro and says that he “has the utmost respect for the ECB's independence”. Currency stability is “a great asset because it strengthens growth”, he added.