Brussels, 28/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - Following the overall positive reactions from European employers to the results of the Spring Summit (EUROPE 9161), the European Confederation of Trade Unions warmly welcomed the commitment made by Heads of State and governments to respect the European Parliament's compromise on the services directive. The ETUC sees this compromise as a victory because it has been fighting on all flanks to achieve it. In Berlin where he was taking part on Monday and Tuesday in an ETUC seminar for relaunching the debate on the future of the European Constitution, ETUC General Secretary John Monks declared, “Any move to reverse the hard-won consensus at this stage will only bring further damaging delays in achieving an acceptable opening of the EU market for services.” The ETUC also notes the Summit's recognition of the key role of the social partners in implementing the Lisbon Strategy and reiterates its demand for a stronger trade union input in the monitoring and implementation of National Reform Programmes. On the Energy Policy for Europe (EPE) initiative, the ETUC reaffirms the need for a coherent energy policy, and finds the Council's conclusions inadequate in this sense. This policy must explicitly include a social dimension that takes account of social impacts in terms of price, access to energy supply, jobs, and health and safety at work. Finally, the ETUC welcomes the European Council's approval of the Pact for Gender Equality. ETUC welcomes EU leaders' backing for the compromise on the Services Directive.