Brussels, 03/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - At the end of April the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) launched a European campaign for a framework directive on services of general interest (SGI). In a press release EPSU says it is better to call collectively at European level for positive change rather than act defensively individually at national level. Apart from the establishment of a framework directive, the aims of the campaign are to allow the social partners to play a central role in preparing the European framework, to raise awareness in Member States of how public services are being attacked at European level, to propose a counterbalance to the services directive in the internal market and to guarantee the rights of national, regional and local authorities to meet the needs of their citizens.
In the EP, work on the Parliamentary response to the May 2004 White Paper on SGI has begun in the economic and financial affairs committee. A vote in EP plenary session is expected in July. The PES group has decided to draw up a draft framework directive in this field (see EUROPE 9128). At the end of April, Michel Delebarre, President of the Committee of the Regions also argued for a European framework for SGIs (see EUROPE 9177).