Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-06-06-Speech-1-222-000"
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"en.20110606.23.1-222-000"2
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"Mr President, as I said in my speech a short while ago, the external dimension of social policy covers EU measures and initiatives aimed at promoting employment standards and social standards in third countries. Although the Lisbon strategy and the Europe 2020 initiative place a far greater emphasis on social policy than was ever the case before, competitiveness and economic factors are still the centre of attention. I therefore took a very critical approach to the drafting of this report. If we want the third countries with whom we negotiate agreements to respect the principles and the very basis of the European social model, we must respect this model within the European Union. If we want the countries with which we negotiate international agreements to respect the International Labour Organisation’s fundamental conventions, then we must respect them ourselves. It is plain to see, however, that ILO conventions are violated in some Member States.
As far as corporate social responsibility is concerned, it is undoubtedly a good idea, and has been under discussion since the early 1970s. The problem is, however, that it cannot be enforced. When we were debating the comments on this report and amendments to it, one of the views expressed was that a directive should be drafted, since some businesses simply do not behave in a socially responsible way. More than 150 amendments were tabled to the report, but I think that it nevertheless still takes a critical approach. The European Union needs to do more to support the International Labour Organisation, since it is absurd that, while we profess support, fewer and fewer countries are ratifying and respecting the conventions. During the last parliamentary term, the Commission even presented proposals, for example, in respect of the Working Time Directive, which ran completely counter to ILO Convention No 1 on Hours of Work, adopted in 1919, which laid down a working week of 48 hours. I am very glad that Parliament rejected this directive.
That brings my explanatory statement to an end. There is no need for me to say any more, since this is an issue which everyone understands. What I want, above all, is respect for social rights, and respect for something we proclaim as a major achievement of the European Union."@en1
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