Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-15-Speech-2-313"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-02-15"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Modernising social protection2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000215.13.2-313"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-02-15-Speech-2-3142
lpv:speaker	lp:Theodorus J.J. Bouwman2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-12-16--2002-01-14)3 member; Delegation for relations with Japan (1999-09-28--2002-01-14)3 substitute; EMPL (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 member; G/EFA (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 unknown; GroenLinks (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Commissioner, with regard to the strategy which has been set out here on modernising social security, I would like to point out some positive things as well as raise some questions that have come up for me. I feel positive about the movement which is very gradually taking place in the dossier. This seems to be a good thing and useful. I also feel positive about the essence of the communication, namely the strategic approach. We therefore hope that the four objectives which are mentioned in it can reasonably be achieved. We would also underline the importance of the way in which the strategy is handled. On the one hand, it would be useful to have guidelines and a process styled on Luxembourg, but we also think it is important, as is already mentioned by Mrs Van Lancker, that guidelines are drafted to accommodate less typical work scenarios, such as sole traders, etc. We nonetheless foresee two problems for which solutions will need to be found. The first problem is that concerning the downward adjustment of social security, which, we hope, will be replaced by high-level convergence. I can illustrate this with examples from a study which was carried out recently by the Dutch trade union movement into social security reforms within the European Union. It appears from this study that adjustments are rife but most of these adjustments, in fact, the majority of them, appear to be downward adjustments, the remainder being improvements. The lion’s share of these adjustments pertains to pension plans: eleven restrictions and two improvements. In the case of unemployment benefits, we came across six restrictions and five improvements. The reasons for adjustments are, for example, to improve employment, reduce social security expenditure, but are also due to policy competition and EMU criteria. Policy competition mainly occurs in the northern countries. The highest level of stability and even improvement of social security can be found in the southern countries. All in all, both sides of industry only have a limited role to play in the process as a whole. This is nothing to write home about and means that the convergence strategy must focus on the best approaches. To use a figure of speech, cappuccino is not always good for us."@en1

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