Brussels, 06/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, after having told MEPs of their expectations for the European June Council, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso spoke of the preparations being made for the employment summit, to be held in Prague on Thursday 7 May. A joint discussion ensued on the reports by: (1) Gabriele Stauner (EPP-ED, Germany) on extending the scope of the European Globalisation Fund to situations of economic and financial crisis, adopted by 538 votes to 35 and 37 abstentions; (2) José Silva Peneda (EPP-ED, Portugal) concerning the renewed social agenda adopted by 403 votes to 51 and 12 abstentions; and (3) Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK) on active inclusion of persons excluded from the labour market, adopted by 256 votes to 19 and 129 abstentions. We would point out that an alternative resolution presented by the EPP-ED concerning the Lambert report was rejected. The EPP-ED did not agree with Ms Lambert's request for an EU target for minimum income schemes for active inclusion equivalent to 60% of national median equalised income.
After a presentation of the work held in the preparatory workshops for the employment summit and his expectations for the meeting (EUROPE 9895), the outgoing Czech deputy prime minister welcomed the report by José Silva Peneda, which calls for an ambitious social agenda. The report recognises the importance of developing new skills, using new forms of work organisation, and for reconciling family and professional life. “All this is taken up in our agenda for the employment summit”, Mr Vondra said. The report by Jean Lambert, which calls for active inclusion of persons excluded from the labour market is also of prime importance, Minister Vondra states, pointing out that such an approach was part of the objectives of the Czech EU Presidency, in the same way as the creation of long-term employment. Nonetheless, Alexandr Vondra takes the view that “the most urgent need is to ensure that the conclusions of the workshops are translated into deeds”.
Taking the floor, the Commission president highlighted the social and human cost of the crisis. He said unemployment is a “local, national and European phenomenon (…). A response should be given from the European angle. The Commission is working relentlessly on combating unemployment and finding an outcome to the crisis”. Mr Barroso considers a clear signal should be sent to citizens, namely that “the Union has a good understanding of the crisis and of the fact that it is a matter of citizen wellbeing”, adding: “Europe can really change things”. He went on to point out that the European Social Fund helps those hit by the crisis. “We must help the least qualified, those with disabilities, the vulnerable groups. They must be actively included in our society. We must take the young into account so that they do not end up unemployed as soon as they finish their studies”, José Manuel Barroso concluded.
Gabriele Stauner welcomed the compromise reached with the Council in April on the new conditions that must be met for dismissed workers to have access to GAF aid (EUROPE 9877/9880), and in particular on the question of GAF financial participation and the co-funding of national budgets, on a 50/50 basis. “Only very exceptionally would the Fund's rate of intervention reach 65%”, Gabriele Stauner said.
“We are really in a crisis of confidence”, José Silva Peneda went on to say, presenting his report (EUROPE 9879). “There is more social exclusion, poverty, unemployment, crime, despair. Employment is more than just a matter of revenue”, the rapporteur said. In his view, Europe must have social standards. There must also be greater flexibility in European Structural Funds so that the EU can face up to change and reinforcement of social dialogue. “It is also necessary for the social policy to join economic policy. There must be economic recovery but without forgetting the social level”, he concluded.
Jean Lambert took the view that “active inclusion must be replaced by social inclusion which gives you the feeling that you have a role to play in society”. One also needs to have an income that allows a dignified way of life. Member states must envisage setting up a minimum salary and not forgetting the “poor employed who have become the problem in Europe!”, Ms Lambert went on to say, also underlining the importance of having a labour market that is increasingly inclusive, and of benefitting from a school education. She called for “an increasingly individualised approach, centred on the individual” and said it is necessary to combat long-term unemployment and the unemployment of older persons. The maxim, she said, should be that those who are excluded from the labour market must be included (EUROPE 9878/9894).
Speaking on behalf of the environment commission, Anne Ferreira (PES, France) highlighted the role of the social economy. Monica Giuntini (PES, Italy) speaking for the regional development committee welcomed the agreement in first reading on the EGF and said that the Commission should assess new provisions by 2011. Cornélis Visser (EPP-ED, Netherlands), culture committee, welcomed the fact that in the report on the social agenda there was a “link between the workplace and education. Bridges between education and enterprise are necessary”. Maria Panayatopoulos-Cassiotou (EPP-ED, Greece) congratulated Jean Lambert, “who demonstrated a lot of openness by taking the women's committee's opinion of gender equality and social insertion into account” but also for the emphasis placed on support to family members and inter-generational assistance.
Othmar Karas (EPP-ED, Austria) welcomed the three rapporteurs for having underscored the terms, “way of life, social model and social dialogue”. Jan Andersson (PES, Sweden) referred to the ideas held at Eurogroup by the Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker that there was both a social crisis and an unemployment crisis. Andersson affirmed that 25 million people could be affected by it in the next few years. He also asked whether the Employment Council would become an Employment Troika and whether employment was an important question to the Council or not. The MEP said that, this involves long term investment, life-long learning, energy efficiency etc. This is what is needed to help people to train and find work. Action is needed on the labour markets in Europe, as well as on geographical, physical and inter-professional mobility”. Ona Jukneviciene (ALDE, Lithuania) congratulated Gabriele Stauner for, “having contributed to a first reading agreement on the FEM”. Brian Crowley (UEN, Ireland) said they needed to protect jobs and take action for prepare for the future. He said that all social policies are based on what people achieve and all people need a decent quality of life. Jean Lambert said that they need see what there was in ILO and European trade unions, as well as in health care, “which is often put on the margins”. Gabriele Zimmer (GUE/NGL, Germany) criticised the employment summit on Thursday for having been “reduced to a masquerade…We are really going to be embarrassed by such a summit She affirmed that to fight effectively against poverty, they should get rid of labour market disparities and protect social standards. She concluded that the fight against poverty demanded a substantial international effort. Derek Clarke (IND/United Kingdom) raised some doubts about the quality of the directive on working time and asked whether it really was social. Carl Lang (NI, France) criticised the Commission and Heads of State and EU governments for, “having been unaware of the scale of the crisis…despite the economic and social shock linked to it…Do you believe that hundreds of thousands of unemployed are on the dole because they are unsuitable for work? This sort of tunnel vision and free trade market theory is socially and economically criminal”.
In response to the adoption of the Stauner report, José Manuel Barroso stated in a press release that, “I am delighted by this strong decision by the European Parliament. It's the right decision prior to tomorrow's Employment Summit in Prague. The EU keeps employment at the top of the EU agenda where it belongs…In the current financial and economic crisis the Europe Globalisation Adjustment Fund has a key role to play in limiting the effects of the crisis on employment and giving back confidence to our citizens”. (G.B/trans/rh)