PES

Discuss in forum Printer-friendly version

1 July 2008

Commenting on the European Commission's long-awaited "Social Agenda", due to be published tomorrow including proposals on anti-discrimination legislation, cross-border access to health services and European Works Councils, PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said

"The Social Agenda is the European Commission's last chance to show that Europe is more than a market, to show that it cares about the everyday concerns of European citizens. Tomorrow will show us how far the conservative-dominated Commission is willing to go."

"In the past the EU has made a real contribution to increasing workers rights, to equality between women and men, but under the current conservative Commission these issues have dropped far down the list of priorities. Recent judgments by the European Court have created confusion about the right to collective bargaining, while the incoming French Presidency have not made social issues a top priority."

"Can we hope for proposals that put people first? Can we hope for strong new action for equal rights for women? Can we hope for better workers rights through stronger European Works Councils? Can we hope for proposals that put people first without costing member states too much on health treatment abroad? The Commission President still has a chance to surprise us positively."

"It's Barroso's last chance in this Commission's last year."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Julian Scola, Communications Advisor - Media & Campaigns
Party of European Socialists, Rue du Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394
julian.scola@pes.org

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it