Brussels, 27/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - The consultation process on modernising labour law, with regard to “flexicurity”, launched by the European Commission last week, continues to provoke contrasting reactions (see EUROPE 9312 and 9314). After general criticism from employers' representatives, the Platform of European Social NGOs has expressed regret at the lack of ambition of the consultation exercise. While welcoming, in a press release, the publication of the Commission's “long-awaited Green Paper” to “address gaps in protection of workers and the issue of European social standards”, the NGOs regret its “limited scope”. They stress that, in their opinion, “this consultation will help to understand how the law needs to evolve to protect individuals in new forms of employment and to defend shared values such as equality between women and men and non discrimination principles”. Anne-Sophie Parent, President of the Social Platform, said, “Flexible and short-term contracts should not lead to increased discrimination in employment by providing an easy rationale to terminate employment. Guarantees must be given to ensure equivalent rights and benefits for all workers of the most marginalised groups are not to be trapped in long-term low wage, low-protection jobs or long-term unemployment or forced inactivity”. In addition, Ms Parent called for this consultation exercise to be the opportunity to open “a structured debate on the impact of social dumping in the EU”, because, if the EU does not act, “it will never regain the confidence of people”. The Social Platform, then, is also pressing the Commission to ensure that consensus is built prior to the adoption of common flexicurity principles. (mg)