Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-23-Speech-1-061"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20001023.7.1-061"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteurs, ladies and gentlemen of the House, let me firstly thank you, Mr President, for this personalised introduction.
I now come to my more specific comments, and firstly my comments on employment. Employment is our number one priority, even if the method of tackling the problem is in flux. Here, too, I noted unanimity on the need to continue and step up the Luxembourg process in the context of the objectives established at the European Council in Lisbon. We are particularly committed to the objective of full employment. It is a false line of reasoning to set quantity off against quality, and Lisbon clearly established a twofold objective: more jobs and better jobs. It falls to us to define the key elements which characterise the quality of employment and then to be capable of measuring these.
You will understand, given my duties as a member of the French Government, that I was particularly pleased to note that, firstly, the equality of men and women and, secondly, lifelong training are two areas which receive very strong support. The subject of lifelong training was unanimously adopted as a priority area. Moreover, the two sides of industry have undertaken to work on this subject. We must encourage them to do so in order to ensure that initiatives by collective agreement are taken to promote lifelong training within the shortest possible time limits. Let me, at this point, remind you that there will be a European Seminar on this subject on 4 and 5 December in Biarritz, which I shall be chairing.
On the subject of the equality of men and women, many Member States stressed the need for a better coordination of work and family life, particular with regard to childcare. This is indeed a key issue, both in order to increase employment rates and in order to make progress towards male-female equality.
To stay on this subject a moment, your resolution provides for many measures in favour of women and contains one general objective to include the concept of male-female equality in all the sectors covered by the agenda. I support this method.
As you perhaps know, on 27 October, I am holding a ministerial symposium on this subject. I already spoke at length on this subject at your plenary sitting on October 5. I shall not therefore remind you of the three areas that we shall be debating at this meeting.
You will shortly be discussing the fifth gender equality programme for 2001-2006. I should like to thank you most sincerely for responding to the Presidency’s invitation by working very quickly and very successfully, enabling us to adopt this most important programme, which proposes both an integrated approach and specific actions, on time. You can count on me to make every effort to complete the task successfully and to support the financial commitment of EUR 50 million.
Finally, in order to step up the integrated approach to equality, the Presidency was in favour of implementing this concept in a number of meetings of the Council of Ministers. This is something that will be done under the French Presidency.
The social agenda has many more objectives. Let me just mention the mobility of workers. Freedom of movement must be encouraged, while ensuring that career paths are safeguarded. I should also like to briefly point out our fight against insecurity and insecure employment. This must be dealt with better.
Both sides of industry pointed out the need for common definitions. I am thinking in particular of non-standard work. Plainly, a number of Community Directives on European works councils, transfers and mass redundancies, for example, need to be updated. I also noted a strong desire for definition of a genuine Community strategy on the working environment, particularly concerning health and safety. Existing directives must be simplified and adapted to technical progress, but practical proposals must also be made on emerging risks or dangerous jobs.
Let me say something about social protection. We all agree that we should pursue the strategy of cooperation in social protection, paying special attention, as we were urged at Lisbon, to the issue of pensioners.
I am very pleased to be able to join you today for this important debate on the social agenda. I must also say, however, that Elisabeth Guigou, the current Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, would have liked to have been able to attend proceedings here today in this institution to which she too once belonged and of which she has fond memories, but her new duties require her to be in Paris today, and she has therefore asked me to present her apologies.
At the Employment and Social Policy Council held on 17 October, a great deal of progress was made in the fight against exclusion by defining appropriate objectives for the fight against poverty and social exclusion, which will serve as a foundation for national action plans. The agenda could also give an opinion on the follow up to be given to the 1992 recommendation on minimum resources.
Within the next few weeks, the Presidency intends to draw up a general report on all these subjects, in the light of the contributions submitted to us. We should be able to successfully complete a document intended for the Heads of State and Government by the time of the Employment Council on 28 November. This document should express some real ambitions for the next five years. Quite clearly, the European Parliament will have made a significant contribution, and I thank you for this.
(
)
Before going any further, I should like to congratulate Mrs Van Lancker, and also the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and its chairman, on the report before us today, which testifies to the dynamism and great commitment of the European Parliament to the social agenda.
Following the informal Employment and Social Policy Council on 8 July this year in Paris, the Presidency invited all the parties involved, the European Parliament, of course, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, both sides of industry, NGOs, Council groups and committees, to submit their proposals.
The European Parliament resolution on the social agenda which you are just about to adopt is a very ambitious contribution to our joint exercise. The French Presidency welcomes this text and undertakes to give it the utmost consideration in its work.
The informal Council meeting of 8 July, the September conference you hosted with the European Commission and Mr Briet’s tour of European capitals have provided the basis for a number of comments. Let me first make some general remarks on the social agenda before covering the various individual areas, in a very succinct way, as befits my allotted speaking time.
I am happy to be able to say that all the parties involved in social policy declared themselves in favour of drawing up an agenda. This is intended to give a higher profile to European social policy and to make it more effective, preparing the European Union for the great shared challenges ahead. The agenda is, of course, in keeping with the Lisbon conclusions and the future European Charter of Fundamental Rights, to ensure its effective implementation.
The areas of action listed in the Commission communication were also subject to general agreement. What debates there were did not involve the type of action to be undertaken but rather the method to be adopted in order to achieve the desired objectives. I think we should adopt a pragmatic approach and overcome any misguidedly ideological rifts.
As you very rightly suggest in your resolution, thereby supporting the approach proposed by the European Commission, we shall continue to use the entire range of Community instruments available to us: social dialogue, legislation, coordination, convergence, information exchange and financing under Community funds and programmes. It is up to us to determine, area by area and action by action, the instruments best suited to the desired objective."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples