Communiqué, issue 4, 2004
Articles
- Towards the Lisbon objectives: The new four-year programme
- Occupational pension systems in Europe
- Quality of life in Germany and Poland
- Focusing on Europe’s working poor
- ERM records high levels of job losses
- Living to work, working to live
- Life satisfaction varies but Europeans are generally optimistic about the future
- Challenging times ahead
Previous issues of Communiqué
The Foundation has an important role to play in helping social policymakers to set and achieve realistic targets that could reap the benefits of enlargement, argues Bernhard Jansen of the European Commission.
The recent enlargement is an event of unprecedented historical importance, resulting in the integration of countries from all corners of Europe to become equal partners in building a new Europe – and this by entirely peaceful means and on the basis of self-determination. ‘An enlarged European market enhances the prospects for economic performance and thus implies more employment prospects,’ explains Bernhard Jansen, Director at the Employment and Social Affairs DG of the European Commission. ‘However, enlargement involves both additional opportunities and additional challenges for the European social policy agenda, where we must strive to match improved economic performance with an increase in the standard of living for everyone.’
Opportunities of enlargement
Bernhard Jansen has been the European Commission’s representative in the Foundation’s Bureau and on the Administrative Board since 2001. A German national and a lawyer by profession, he expounds on the topic of social Europe with exactitude, experience and a clear vision, clearly spelling out the main challenges and solutions for achieving a better future for all citizens. He is convinced that enlargement offers new impetus for the Union and a better chance for a more positive economic development. Bernhard Jansen affirms, ‘We should take up this challenge and turn it to our advantage. In order to be successful, policymakers need to be forward-looking and to set themselves ambitious, but credible targets, and the Foundation is instrumental in this process.’
Prior to taking up his current position as Director of Directorate D of DG Employment and Social Affairs, with responsibility for adaptability, social dialogue and social rights, Bernhard Jansen worked in a variety of posts at European and international level, from legal advice in agriculture, competition and merger law to external trade relations.
Laying foundations for policymaking
Bernhard Jansen is of the opinion that EU agencies have the advantage of being less directly subject to the political priorities of the day, and this can result in a higher degree of credibility and trustworthiness. The success of the Foundation is, in his opinion, a combination of high levels of performance and anticipating what are likely to be tomorrow’s themes in policymaking.
‘The Foundation is meant to act as a think-tank and as such has an important role in preparing the ground for well-adapted policies in the socio-economic field,’ claims Bernhard Jansen. ‘The Foundation was created in 1975 for that purpose and I see no reason why this should change in the foreseeable future.’