Brussels, 17/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - In the context of the financial and economic crisis currently afflicting the European Union, the European Commission is placing a lot of importance on having citizens' concerns put at the heart of European policies, particularly as part of recovery plan implementation. With this in mind, the president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, sought to back the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in its preparation of the special employment summit he had requested for the beginning of May, in Prague. The conference on Tuesday 17 March takes place in Brussels and will look at the impact of the crisis on the real economy and prepares the EESC's contribution to the summit in Prague on 7 May (EUROPE 9862).
During an interview given to EUROPE, in which EESC president, Mario Sepi, also participated, president Barroso explained that the idea of a special employment summit “is an important idea because I believe citizens would not understand that European leaders meet up so often to discuss financial system and banks but do not have time to focus on social issues, particularly unemployment”. Mr Barroso affirmed that, “this does not mean that it is here that efforts will begin. We have already taken measures for the recovery and jobs. But May will enable us to concentrate on what has occurred so far and what additional measures need to be taken”. Barroso added that, “Let's be clear on this: Europe can do much more but especially in terms of coordination because ultimately, the budgetary lever is mainly located at a national level”. This is why president Barroso finds this employment summit and EESC involvement in its preparation “very important”, given its very high quality reports and opinion, (not just of a technical quality but also of a quality in terms of what the EESC describes as consensus). The president believes that they are facing an “exceptional challenge that requires an exceptional response” from both governments and institutions and that “civil societies and social partners should also be committed to this orientation and everyone should make an effort in this response”. This explains the importance the EESC attaches to, “the very culture of civil society cooperation, which is extremely important, especially in crisis periods”.
In connection to the efforts that member states can make, given the scale and suddenness of the crisis, Mr Barroso noted that, “the level of effort we are making at a European level can always be discussed... It is unprecedented, we have never made such a powerful effort in such a coordinated manner. We estimate it at 3.3% of GDP in budgetary terms, if automatic stabilisers are considered. I am not excluding the fact that other measures may be needed. What I think, and this was greeted very positively at the EESC, is that we must focus on carrying out what we have decided on rather than begin speculating on even more negative scenarios. It is true that we are in a very serious and difficult situation but we are currently providing a response to it. Let's now concentrate on executing measures we took together and work with our non-European partners how to obtain a global response”. Mr Barroso said that he hoped that, “this orientation will be followed by a consensus during our European Council at the end of this week”. The president again welcomed our European social model and social market economy, “because this is different from when your are unemployed and dependent on 'food stamps' and you have a certain period of minimum guarantees that are very high compared to those in the rest of the world”.
EESC president, Mario Sepi, explained that the EESC contribution to the Prague employment summit first of all consists of the social mobilisation of national economic and social councils. “This can create a certain coherency and an atmosphere of confidence from civil society with regard to the crisis situation”. He also said that this contribution will present a, “deeper market analysis of the European labour market in an effort to make a very targeted intervention within certain sections of the population”. This important analysis will be carried out in a context where, for example, during the last 4-5 years, we have seen 4% of workers in factories being employed belonging to vulnerable groups of workers such as the young. Mr Sepi welcomed the fact that Mr Barroso had highlighted EESC cohesion, as well as his preference for compromise. (G.B./trans/rh)