Brussels, 13/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - During their meeting in London on 9 December, the 25 presidents of the member federations of Unice (European employer association), which represents 20 million businesses, stated that the current crisis is serious and dangerous, as Ernest-Antoine Seillière, president of Unice, told the press on 13 December, on the eve of the European Summit. There is a crisis of growth, a crisis of governance, but also crisis of identity, on the budget and on the major trade issues, said Mr Seillière.
In a letter sent in the name of the 25 presidents of the federations to Tony Blair, Mr Seillière lays emphasis on, amongst other things, the financial perspectives: the budget must be the instrument to make the objectives of the Lisbon agenda reality, and must therefore "keep the 8% increase a year for expenditure on competitiveness, particularly in the field of research". If there is no agreement, the credibility of European governments will break down. Furthermore, the new Member States must have full access to the benefits of the cohesion policy.
On the adjustment fund proposed to help face up to the effects of globalisation, Mr Seillère told the press: "this is an absurdity in disguise!" In his letter, he states that there should be no need for this kind of fund, because the social funds which exist within the budget of the EU can be used to this end, and that it is inappropriate for the time being. "We are running the risk of opening Pandora's box", Mr Seillère told the press.
In the letter to Tony Blair, Unice also raised the issues of: - the ministerial conference in Hong Kong: the Unice delegation to Hong Kong, headed up by Secretary General Philippe de Buck, is anticipating ambitious results; - REACH (see other article); - the services directive; - climate change: on the subject of the Montréal conference, Unice states that the EU must, as a matter of urgency, "reconsider its diplomatic policy on the climate and the way to deal with these issues post-2012".