Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-04-Speech-4-022"
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"en.19991104.2.4-022"2
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"Mr President, unemployment is one of our really big problems in Europe. Even if it is macroeconomic policy which is the most important factor, an active policy concerning the labour market is also very necessary. The labour market can no more chart its own course than any other complex systems can, but must instead be regulated and given direction. It is just a question of how this is to be done.
In fact, labour markets in Europe all look very different from each other, and the conditions which need to be present before they can be directed and regulated vary from one market to the next. In certain countries, levels of trade union membership are high. There, the social partners in the labour market can themselves play the main role. In other countries, it is the State and the employment agencies which play the main role. Where future labour markets too are concerned, we must perhaps consider strengthening the rights of individual employees.
When the Commission and the Council now set about devising employment plans and guidelines, these national differences must be taken account of. You can have common objectives, but the way of achieving these has to vary depending upon national and regional circumstances. What is most important is that the actors at national, regional and local levels want to be involved in a constructive way. There should not be any commands coming from Brussels. Instead, we must listen to the actors in the market and develop a dialogue. I therefore think it is a good thing that the Commission has now seriously begun to emphasise the importance of local job creation. I was very pleased to see that one of the main topics in the so-called employment week conference which is now going on in parallel with our own discussions is precisely the importance of local initiatives. This, then, is one of the main themes at this conference.
Whether or not the Luxembourg process functions effectively will depend in fact upon cooperation between local, regional, national and European actors. Where this is concerned, I think that the planning and the tools need to be improved. The Menrad report is a good step in that direction, even though I think that it largely accepts the existing form of planning. In the future, we in Parliament must be bolder with our proposals and initiatives. Personally, I think that the convergence philosophy ought to be replaced by an interest in variation, diversity, experiment and the mobilisation of local resources. Workers should not be regarded as an abstract labour force but as active participants who are to be supported and strengthened by the planning process. That is, in fact, much more important than individual detailed formulations in the written guidelines."@en1
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