EU COMMISSION PROPOSES "NEW SOCIAL AGENDA"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000666 SIPDIS DOL FOR BLS AND ILAB BRUMFIELD STATE FOR DRL/IL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EUN USEU BRUSSELS SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION PROPOSES "NEW SOCIAL AGENDA" REF: STATE 26878 (notal) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. The EU Commission on February 10 adopted the "New Social Agenda," designed as a framework for EU policy in the area of employment and social issues for the next five years. Further to reftel request, the blueprint outlines the priority concerns of Commissioner Spidla, who holds responsibility for Employment, Social Policy and Equal Opportunities. Among other initiatives under the New Social Agenda, which remains subject to approval by the EU governments, the Commission will table a proposal to enable workers to switch occupational pension schemes when moving to another Member State. The transition periods imposed for the free movement into the former EU-15 of workers from the Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU last year may also be reviewed. Commissioner Spidla also addressed the challenge of EU demographic changes, arguing that Europe needs more, not fewer, economic migrants despite public fears and high unemployment in major EU economies (para 7 below). END SUMMARY. ¶2. EU Commission President Barroso and Commissioner Spidla, who holds responsibility for Employment, Social Policy and Equal Opportunities, on February 9 announced Commission proposals for a New Social Agenda of the EU as "the social policy dimension of the refocused Lisbon Growth and Security Strategy." Responding to accusations from trade unions and members of the European Parliament that the Commission's plan for revitalizing the EU economy (announced a week earlier) was too focused on business-friendly policies, Spidla said the New Social Agenda would "help to provide what citizens most want: decent jobs and social justice." The Commission wanted the revised Lisbon Strategy to maintain "a balance between three areas: economic growth, social cohesion and sustainable development." Stressing that the New Social Agenda "does not present anything that would undermine business activities," Spidla said the draft was "designed to preserve and modernize" the EU's "valued social model as the essential tool underpinning Europe's drive to boost growth and jobs." ¶3. The current Social Policy Agenda was launched at the end of 2000 (during the French Presidency) as a first catalogue of EU measures for a five-year period. Spidla presented the new draft, which will be submitted for endorsement by EU leaders, as "a work plan for the EU in the area of employment and social issues for the next five years." According to a Commission statement, "By modernizing labor markets and social protection systems, it will help people seize the opportunities created by international competition, technological advances and changing population patterns while protecting the most vulnerable in society." As outlined by the Commission in a press release, the New Social Agenda has two key priorities: a) employment ("more and better jobs") and b) combating poverty and extending equal opportunities to everyone in society ("social inclusion"). The paper underlines the role of partnerships involving public authorities at local, regional and national levels, as well as employer and worker representatives and NGOs, in securing results and promoting support for reforms. A brief "external dimension" section sets the goal of promoting "decent work for all" as "a global objective at all levels." EUROPEAN LABOR MARKET -------------- ¶4. The Commission recognizes that the 2010 target for achieving full employment (as set under the 2000 Lisbon strategy) is not realistic but maintains that 6 million new jobs can be created by then. A key instrument for implementing the Social Agenda is the European Employment Strategy, based on the four priorities also set out in a 2004 report by a high- level panel (Kok report): -- Increase the adaptability of workers and enterprises; -- Attract more people to enter, and remain in, the labor force; -- Invest more, and more effectively, in workers; -- Ensure real implementation of reforms through better governance. ¶5. Under the stated goal of "Creating a European labor market," and improving worker mobility in the EU, the Commission proposes to: -- Make proposals to remove obstacles to labor mobility, in particular those arising from occupational pension schemes; -- Set up a high-level panel this year to assess the impact of enlargement on labor mobility across Europe. This could lead to a review of the limitations to the free movement of workers from eight Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in May 2004. In an interview with Reuters, Spidla said he expected that some of the EU-15 would not extend curbs allowed under the Accession Treaty when the first two-year period expires next year; -- Look at the issue of an optional framework for collective bargaining across frontiers at either enterprise or sectoral level; -- Analyze in a Green Paper the new work patterns and look at the role of labor legislation in a changing economy. The Commission announces "an initiative concerning the protection of the personal data of workers." The Commission will propose to update existing Directives on the transfer of undertakings (maintaining workers' contracts following a change of company ownership),and collective redundancies, as well as the consolidation of EU provisions on worker information and consultation; -- Propose a new EU strategy for health and safety at work to run from 2007 to 2012: this will emphasize that prevention pays off (fewer accidents means more productivity); -- Steer the coordination of Member States' national pension policies under the Open Method of Coordination (a framework under which the Commission monitors progress with national action plans that set objectives and timetables for meeting them). Spidla advocated a more flexible retirement system to encourage Europeans who were able to work later in life while providing pensions for those who needed to retire. FIGHTING POVERTY AND PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY -------------- - ¶6. Under the second major heading, the Commission will: -- Engage in consultations on the national minimum income schemes; -- Assess the need for and feasibility of supplementing existing legislation to tackle discrimination in an enlarged Europe. This will address the question of minorities, especially Roma, who will make up a 10 million- strong minority once Bulgaria and Romania join the EU in 2007; -- Update its Action Plan on people with disabilities; -- Tackle issues such as the gender pay gap (Spidla noted that the average difference is still 15 percent),getting more women onto the labor market, training, balancing work and family life; -- Propose the establishment of a European Gender Institute to support implementation of Community objectives for promoting equal treatment of men and women. This will "provide a clearing-house for information and exchanges of good practices"; -- Clarify the role of social services of general interest and draw up a list of Community policies that relate to them. While supporting the Commission's aim to liberalize the EU market for services (the purpose of the draft "Bolkestein Directive" tabled by the Prodi Commission),Spidla conceded there were "well founded fears that cannot be swept aside" about preserving social services of public interest such as in healthcare. THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE -------------- ¶7. The New Social Agenda advocates a policy approach that "takes account of the needs of the different generations as Europe's populations age." A "European initiative for Youth" will mark this commitment. The Commission will issue a Green Paper analyzing the demographic changes in Europe and suggesting ways of coping with the problems caused by the aging of Europe's populations. "Over the next 20 years, there will be 20 million fewer workers in Europe, even including migrants," he said. Dismissing EU citizens' fears that Europe is already "full-up," Spidla suggested people should take a longer-term view instead: "Naturally, if you only look at the next two weeks, things look different. But in the EU we have to work on the long term and we definitely need immigration." Spidla acknowledged that calling for an increase in labor migration was politically difficult at a time when unemployment in Germany has topped five million, reaching the highest level since the 1930s. However, it would be wrong to blame immigrants for the problem: "Would the post-WW II German economic miracle have been possible without 'guest workers'? Certainly not." ¶8. While accepting that labor market policy essentially remains a national responsibility, Spidla publicly stated that barriers to free movement have an economic cost as preventing the enlarged EU market from working efficiently. "If you don't achieve free movement of people as well as capital and goods, you don't get a proper allocation of labor, one of Europe's key resources -- qualified workers," he said. REACTIONS -------------- ¶9. The European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) praised the "positive" framework of social measures while hoping that it will not remain a list of pious aspirations. Secretary-General John Monks welcomed the fact that the plan "places again on the agenda, managing restructuring and promoting European Works Councils as tools to cope the challenges of globalization." The European employers' organization UNICE was concerned that some of the proposals announced "could undermine the Lisbon goals of enhancing growth and employment," calling on the Commission to be "consistent" in its approach. According to UNICE, there was no need for an additional layer of EU collective bargaining over and above the national, sectoral, regional or company level. The idea of codifying existing legislation on information and consultation was seen as disregarding "the fact that information and consultation vary depending on the issue and level at which it is best organized." UNICE Secretary General Philippe de Buck said the Barroso Commission was "walking a very thin line." ¶10. The full text of the Commission Communication on the Social Agenda is available from: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/s ocial_p olicy_agenda/social_pol_ag_en.html SCHNABEL