TWENTY-SIXTH REPORT
The European Scrutiny Committee has made further
progress in the matter referred to it and has agreed to the following
Report:—
SOCIAL POLICY AGENDA
(21420)
9964/00
COM(00) 379
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Commission Communication: "Social Policy Agenda".
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| Legal base: |
— |
| |
| Document originated:
| 28 June 2000 |
| Deposited in Parliament:
| 11 July 2000 |
| Department: |
Education and Employment |
| Basis of consideration:
| EM of 18 July 2000 |
| Previous Committee Report:
| None |
| To be discussed in Council:
| October and November 2000
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| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision:
| For debate in European Standing Committee C
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Background
1.1 The Conclusions of the Lisbon European
Council in March state:
"... taking account of the present conclusions,
the Council will pursue its reflection on the future direction
of social policy on the basis of a Commission communication, with
a view to reaching agreement on a European Social Agenda at the
Nice European Council in December, including the initiatives of
the different partners involved.[1]"
1.2 The current document is the Commission
Communication to which the Conclusions refers. It was discussed
at the informal Labour and Social Affairs Council on 8 July where
the Council President told the press: "this testifies in
a symbolic manner [the] priority for the French Presidency for
the reinforcing of the European Social Model"; and the Employment
Commissioner said: "it is the first time that there is a
consensus on the fact that social policies, treated at a national
level, must be co-ordinated at a European level."[2]
The document
— General approach
1.3 The Communication proposes a five-year
programme (2000-2005) to follow the Social Action Programme for
1998-2000.[3]
It sets out its aim as to "provide a comprehensive and coherent
approach for the European Union to confront the new challenges
to social policy resulting from the radical transformation of
Europe's economy and society" with a guiding principle "to
strengthen the rôle of social policy as a productive factor."
It describes as "key" the message that "growth
is not an end in itself but essentially a means to achieving a
better standard of living for all. Social policy underpins economic
policy and employment has not only economic but also a social
value."
The preface to the document states:
"A wide range of actions are outlined in the
Agenda:-
"— some are targeted at realising
Europe's full employment potential by creating more and better
jobs, anticipating and managing change and adapting to the new
working environment, exploiting the potential of the knowledge-based
economy and promoting mobility;
"— others will centre on modernising
and improving social protection, promoting social inclusion, strengthening
gender equality and reinforcing fundamental rights and combating
discrimination;
"— there are also initiatives devoted
to preparing for enlargement and promoting international co-operation
and making the social dialogue contribute to meeting the various
challenges.
"While not all the actions proposed are new,
those which are ongoing have been re-focused in accordance with
the political directions given at Lisbon. A further innovation
is that the open method of co-ordination[4],
hitherto confined to the employment area, can now be applied to
other social policies. This will ensure a more qualitative, and
where appropriate, quantitative follow-up to agreed objectives
and targets."
— Means
1.4 The Communication envisages a combination
of means to achieve its priorities, principally:
"— The open method of co-ordination,
inspired by the Luxembourg Employment Process and developed by
the Lisbon and Feira European Councils.
"— Legislation: Standards should
be developed or adapted, where appropriate, to ensure the respect
of fundamental social rights and to respond to new challenges.
Such standards can also result from agreements between the social
partners at European level.
"— The Social Dialogue as the
most effective way of modernising contractual relations, adapting
work organisation and developing adequate balance between flexibility
and security.
"— The Structural Funds and
particularly the European Social Fund as the main Community
financial instruments to underpin policy.
"— The Commission will, where appropriate,
propose programmes underpinning the development of policy
initiatives.
"— The use of mainstreaming
as a tool will be strengthened and further developed.
"— Policy analysis and research
will underpin the implementation of this Social Policy Agenda.
This should result in regular reports on employment, gender equality,
social situation and industrial relations".
— Objectives and Actions
1.5 Under five main headings, the Communication
identifies a number of objectives and lists actions (some already
underway) under each. The headings and objectives are as follows:
"Full employment and quality of work:
"— to realise Europe's full employment
potential by working towards raising the employment rate to as
close as possible to 70% by 2010 and increasing the number of
women in work to more than 60% in 2010 whilst taking into account
the different starting points of the Member States;
"— to develop a positive and pro-active
approach to change by promoting adequate information for both
companies and employees, addressing the employment and social
consequences of economic and market integration (mergers, acquisitions
etc.) and adapting working conditions and contractual relations
to the new economy with a view to fostering a renewed balance
between flexibility and security;
"— to accelerate the development of
the knowledge-based economy to create more jobs in Europe;
"— to ensure the de facto implementation
of free movement of workers by removing obstacles to geographical
mobility. Continue to monitor the application of Community rules
on free movement of workers, examine the need for specific measures
in areas which are at the heart of the knowledge-based economy
and develop support mechanisms to facilitate mobility, including
the use of new technologies".
"Quality of social policy:
"— to modernise and improve social
protection to respond to the transformation to the knowledge economy,
change in family and social structures and build on the rôle
of social protection as a productive factor;
"— to prevent and eradicate poverty
and exclusion and promote the integration and participation of
all into economic and social life;
"— to promote full participation of
women in economic, scientific, social, political and civic life
as a key component of democracy. This is not only an issue of
rights, but also a major component for promoting social and economic
progress;
"— to ensure the development and respect
of fundamental social rights as a key component of an equitable
society and of respect for human dignity".
"Promoting quality in industrial relations:
"— to make social dialogue at all
levels contribute in an effective way to the challenges identified.
To promote competitiveness and solidarity and the balance between
flexibility and security";
"Preparing for enlargement:
"— to contribute to preparing the
enlargement of the Union under conditions of balanced economic
and social development";
"Promoting international co-operation:
"— to facilitate the exchange of experience
and good practice in particular with international organisations
(ILO, OECD, Council of Europe)."
1.6 The Communication also contains a number
of proposals for follow-up and monitoring.
The Government's view
1.7 The Minister for Employment, Welfare
to Work and Equal Opportunities at the Department for Education
and Employment (The Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell) comments:
"The Commission's stated aim is not to harmonise
social policies but rather to work towards common European objectives
in the social and employment fields (particularly those agreed
at the Lisbon Council) while respecting national diversity. The
Communication endorses the open method of co-ordination based
on benchmarking and the exchange of best practice. The Communication
highlights a number of weaknesses in the EU's employment performance
against that of the United States.
"The Government supports the Commission's analysis
of the challenges facing employment and social policy in the next
five years. It welcomes, in particular, the emphasis on jobs and
the need to raise employment rates across the Community. However,
there are some proposals that the UK considers unjustified. Specifically,
the UK opposes the Commission's proposal for a directive on a
national framework for information and consultation of workers.[5]
"It will be necessary to assess carefully a
number of proposals to codify, adapt or improve existing legislation,
or for new legislation, in particular:
"— a decision on Community incentive
measures on employment;
"— the development of collective bargaining
between the social partners;
"— the establishment of European level
voluntary mechanisms on mediation, arbitration and conciliation
for conflict resolution;
"— a Communication on the social aspects
of public procurement proceedings;
"— a Communication on corporate social
responsibility;
"— a Communication and action plan
on the financial participation of workers;
"— a Communication to further develop
the Community strategy on health and safety;
"— a Commission Decision creating
a Pensions Forum and subsequent proposal for an instrument on
the transferability of supplementary pensions;
"— a Communication on the free movement
of public sector workers;
"— undefined 'specific actions' to
suppress obstacles to the mobility of researchers, students, trainees,
teachers and trainers;
"— a Communication on the future of
social protection with particular reference to pensions;
"— a Recommendation to ratify the
ILO convention on child labour; and
"— proposals to develop and strengthen
the social dialogue."
1.8 The Minister tells us that individual
proposals will need to be evaluated to ascertain whether they
accord with the principle of subsidiarity. They may also have
legal and procedural implications.
1.9 In relation to the timetable, the Minister
says:
"The Communication was discussed at the Informal
Social Affairs Council on 7-8 July. Further discussions are likely
at the Social Affairs Councils in October and November with a
view to reaching agreement on the new social agenda at the Nice
European Council in December."
Conclusion
1.10 Although this Communication has
no legal force in itself, it is an ambitious and far-reaching
document, and the French Presidency is according it a high priority.
If there was indeed consensus at the informal Labour and Social
Affairs Council "that social policies, treated at a national
level, must be co-ordinated at a European level" the translation
of that sentiment into concrete actions is unlikely to be an easy
process. The long list of measures which the Government flags
as needing careful assessment is an indication both of how comprehensive
the document is, and of the caution inherent in the UK approach
to its implementation. The Government has also made no secret
of its opposition to the proposal for a national framework for
information and consultation of workers (to which UNICE[6]
is also opposed).
1.11 Since this is the stage at which
Parliament can have most influence on the Agenda, we recommend
that the Communication be debated in European Standing Committee
C — if possible before the Council meeting in November.
The Committee may wish to ask the Minister:
— what she thinks is meant by the statement
that "social policies, treated at a national level, must
be co-ordinated at a European level" and whether she agrees
with it;
— whether she has concerns about any
of the main headings or objectives in the document;
— what her general concerns are about
the proposals which she considers to need careful assessment;
— how other Member States have reacted
to the proposed Social Agenda and, in particular, to the proposal
for a national framework for information and consultation of workers.
1 Lisbon Conclusions: paragraph 34. Back
2 Quoted
in Agence Europe No. 7755, 10 and 11 July 2000, page 10. Back
3 (19146)
8328/98; see HC 155-xxx (1997-98), paragraph 2 (10 June 1998). Back
4 This
co-ordination involves establishing policy guidelines, setting
benchmarks, concrete targets and a monitoring system to evaluate
progress via a peer group review. Back
5 (19679)
13099/98; see HC 34-viii (1998-99), paragraph 2 (3 February 1999)
and HC 34-xxvii (1998-99), paragraph 7 (21 July 1999). Back
6 Union
of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe. Back
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