Select Committee on European Legislation Eighteenth Report


WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

17.   We consider that the following raises questions of political importance, but make no recommendation for its further consideration:--

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

17928)
6086/97
COM(96)724
Commission Communication: The European Union's follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development.
Legal base: --

  The Communication

    17.1  The Commission says that the purpose of the Communication is to look at what follow-up action could be taken by the European Union to meet the commitments made at the World Summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995, under UN auspices. It acknowledges that "the policies being implemented at Member State and Community level already go a long way towards meeting the commitments made at Copenhagen", but proposes further follow-up in five areas:

      (i)    incorporating social aspects into the international institutional framework

      (ii)    incorporating respect for social rights, and promoting social and human development, into bilateral agreements with third countries

      (iii)    incorporating the fight against poverty into development action, and combating marginalisation within the Community

      (iv)    maintaining employment as the top economic and social priority; and

      (v)    strengthening protection for immigrants, and countering racism.

    17.2  In the section (1.2) in which it elaborates on (iii) above, the Commission says that in its view:

      "a good way to strengthen the social dimension in the Community's development aid, particularly for the poorest countries, is by making good the understanding mooted in the Summit's action programme whereby basic social programmes would, by joint agreement, receive one fifth of the Community's public development aid and one fifth of developing countries' own public spending."

  The Government's view

    17.3  In his Explanatory Memorandum (dated 13 March) the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Davis) says:

      "Primary responsibility for implementing the Summit agreements lies at national level.

      "On specific aspects of the Communication:

      --  The Government is committed to eliminating forced labour and the exploitation of children, and to raising social standards worldwide. It believes the best way to raise standards in developing countries is to allow them to trade freely. The Government rejects any link between trade measures and the promotion of internationally-recognised labour standards, and is opposed to coercive trade action designed to impose such standards on developing countries. In view of this, the Government does not see a case for closer co-operation between the ILO and WTO, but believes that the guidelines in the Communication should be consistent with the agreement reached at the WTO Ministerial, which was to continue existing contacts between the two organisations (sections 1.1 and 1.2).

      --  The Government supports the promotion of ILO conventions covering basic social rights, but is concerned to maintain its right, and that of other states, to decide whether or not to ratify such conventions. It does not, therefore, support the proposal that the Community should co-operate more closely with the ILO with a view to implementing programmes which ensure compliance with ILO conventions. This would extend the Community's limited role as an observer in the ILO and may enable it to claim competence over the rights of states to decide whether or not to be bound by particular ILO conventions (section 1.2)

      --  Although the Government supports greater focus on poverty reduction in Community aid programmes, it does not favour strict adherence to the 20:20 initiative given that Community aid allocations should be determined by the needs of recipients, not a rigid formula (section 1.2)

      --  The United Kingdom is unable to ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers because its terms go beyond those contained in the Immigration Rules in a number of specific areas. The Government also considers that the Convention goes beyond the United Kingdom's international commitments and what is necessary to secure the interests of migrant working here (section 1.5)

      --  The policy of the Government is to restrict the number of non-EEA nationals coming here for employment. The Government would therefore oppose any move to allow third-country nationals resident in other Member States the right to work here (paragraph 1.5)."

  Conclusion

    17.4  Although Communications from the Commission frequently lay the groundwork for later legislative proposals, in this case the suggestions are mainly for "dialogue" and "co-operation". Should it attempt in due course to give legislative force to these suggestions, the proposals will come before our successors for their consideration. We are, therefore, clearing this discussion document.

 
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Prepared 27 March 1997