Weber, Tina

On 23 July 1997, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive to transpose the social partners' framework agreement on part-time work into European law. The agreement was signed on 6 June 1997 by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) (EU9706131F [1]). This is the second time that an agreement reached by the European social partners has been submitted to the Council for adoption, following the European framework agreement on parental leave (a Directive to implement which was adopted in June 1996). The aims of the new agreement are to prevent discrimination against part-time workers and to facilitate the development of part-time work at Member State level. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/social-partners-reach-framework-agreement-on-part-time-work

The European Council meeting in Amsterdam on 16 and 17 June 1997 concluded the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) with the agreement of a new draft Treaty. The conclusion of the IGC leaves the path open for launching the enlargement process, and the timetable for the single currency has equally been reaffirmed. Economic stability, growth and employment also featured prominently in talks between the governments of the 15 member states. Reinforced by the participation of members from the two new left-of-centre governments of France and the United Kingdom, the European Council agreed to give fresh momentum to keeping employment firmly at the top of the European Union's agenda.

The first annual review of the social dialogue process at the European Union level was adopted by the Commission on 6 May 1997. The review characterises 1996 as "a particularly fruitful and productive year" for the social dialogue at European level. Despite this overall positive assessment, the review highlights the fact that, despite endeavours towards the establishment of a dialogue between the social partners, and in some cases, negotiation, this represents only the background of a European-scale industrial relations systems which is yet to take shape.

The findings of a Eurostat study entitled /Statistics in focus: income distribution and poverty in the EU 12 - 1993/, published on 14 May 1997, show that one out of six citizens and households in the 12 pre-1995 EU member states live below the "poverty threshold". In more than half of these countries, the figure was even higher - one in five. Even more alarmingly, over one-third of poor households were working. These findings are drawn from the first wave of statistics generated from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP). The ECHP consists of a sample of 60,500 households selected randomly in the 12 member states, using a harmonised questionnaire. This data does not allow for a comparison of social change over time, but does provide important information on the magnitude and dimensions of poverty and income disparity in the European Union in the early 1990s. The figures show that there are approximately 57 million socially excluded individuals in EU, a problem affecting both more and less affluent member states.

The high-level expert group on worker involvement was established in 1996 with the aim of developing solutions to break the 25-year deadlock on European Commission proposals containing clauses on worker involvement, and in particular, the European Company Statute (ECS). The Commission has repeatedly stressed the importance of such a statute, enabling the incorporation of companies at EU level, in order to improve the competitiveness of European companies. Such proposals have long remained blocked in the Council of Ministers, largely because of concerns from countries with advanced employee participation systems which fear that the ECS could be used by companies to circumvent national legislation in this area. Similarly, a solution would have to avoid imposing foreign models of employee representation upon member states where there is currently no provision for the appointment of worker representatives to the boards of companies.

In its recently published opinion on the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) underlines the need for the negotiating parties to "place a strengthening of Europe's competitiveness at the heart of the (new) Treaty, since promotion of competitiveness is the sine qua non to increase employment". The promotion of employment can, according to UNICE, never be treated in isolation. While European employers have repeatedly pronounced themselves in favour of the Essen employment strategy, they are keen to underline that responsibility for employment policy must continue to lie primarily with the member states.

The negotiating teams representing the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) reached a draft framework agreement on part-time work in the evening of 14 May 1997.

The importance of continuing vocational education is increasingly being recognised by policy-makers across the European Union, not only because of its positive impact on maintaining the competitiveness of enterprises, but also because of its potential contribution to the free movement of labour and the improvement of employment prospects. This is particularly important in the context of the evolving "information society". The Commission has given particular emphasis and resources to continuing training through its vocational training programme, LEONARDO, and in declaring 1996 the European Year of Lifelong Learning.

The Green Paper focuses on three questions:

Padraig Flynn, the commissioner responsible for employment, industrial relations and social affairs, announced on 3 April 1997 that the Commission is to take infringement proceedings against three member states for their failure to apply certain Community legislation in the social field. Reasoned opinions outlining the Commission's view are to be sent to France, Italy and Greece. The details of the cases are as follows: