In December 1998, the EU's Economic and Social Committee presented its new work programme, which emphasises the Committee's role in fostering the dialogue and involvement of the social partners and other parts of "civil society" in the development of the European Union. The Committee is particularly keen to highlight youth unemployment and the achievement of greater equality of opportunity, in its contribution to the 1999 Employment Guidelines.
On 2-3 December 1998, the President of the Economic and Social Committee (ESC), Beatrice Rangoni Machiavelli, presented the main components of the Committee's new work programme. Also present at the ESC plenary session in Brussels were Pádraig Flynn, the member of the European Commission whose responsibilities include facilitating relations between the Commission and the ESC, and Willem Duisenberg, President of the European Central Bank. The new work programme follows the renewal of the membership of the ESC in October 1998.
The Committee
The Economic and Social Committee was originally set up within the institutional framework of the European Community by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Article 4 of the Treaty specified that "the Council and the Commission shall be assisted by an Economic and Social Committee ... acting in an advisory capacity." The aim of establishing the Committee was to assist in the formation of the common market by providing the institutional machinery for economic and social interest groups to express their opinions to the Commission and the Council of Ministers on questions of European policy.
The ESC currently has 222 members drawn from a wide range of national interest groups, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers for a four-year period on the proposal of the Member State governments. These members are divided into three groupings - employers, workers and "various activities". France, Germany, Italy and the UK have 24 members each; Spain has 21 members; Austria, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden each have 12 members; Denmark, Finland and Ireland have nine members each; and Luxembourg has six representatives.
Consultation of the ESC by the Commission is mandatory for a large number of decisions prior to adoption by the Council. The opinion of the ESC is requested by the Commission at the same time a draft proposal is submitted to the European Parliament. The scope of issues for consultation has been broadened by the Single European Act in 1986, the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and, more recently, the Amsterdam Treaty (EU9707135F). The latter made it possible for the ESC to be consulted by the European Parliament directly.
In addition to giving opinions to the Council, Commission and Parliament, since 1972, the ESC has had the capacity to formulate and adopt opinions on its own initiative on any matter relating to the policies of the EU. Opinions are adopted by a simple majority vote in plenary session. The ESC delivers an average of 170 advisory documents and opinions a year, of which approximately 15% are issued on its own initiative. The ESC's stated central purpose is to facilitate the expression of the widest range of interests and aims in order to forge a Europe that takes into account the needs of organised European citizens through the Community's decision-making process.
The new work programme
The work of the ESC is divided into six main sections covering: Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and economic and social cohesion; single market, production and consumption; transport, energy, infrastructure and the information society; employment, social affairs and citizenship; agriculture, rural development and the environment; and external relations. The two sections which are explicitly relevant to the industrial relations field are those covering employment, social affairs and citizenship, and EMU and economic and social cohesion.
Organised civil society
In its new work programme, the Committee reiterates its aim of expressing the needs of "organised civil society", in that it is composed of representatives from employers, workers and a wide range of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and interest groups to which European citizens belong. These representatives are seen as the sustaining pillars of organised civil society in Europe. While recognising the importance of the social partners (trade unions and employers' organisations) and the social dialogue process, the Committee expresses its belief that it can, and must, become open to many more interests in order for it effectively to become a forum of civil society, and to bring the EU closer to its citizens. In order to address this issue, the Committee proposes that the Commission should broach the question of instigating a "civil dialogue" with NGOs, alongside the social dialogue. In addition, the Committee proposes to hold an "organised civil society convention" in autumn 1999. This is to be preceded by meetings of the various economic and social interest groups involved, in order to establish the role civil society can play in the development of the EU.
In its programme, the Committee expresses its concern with the problems facing young people and unemployment in particular. It proposes to collaborate with the Youth Forum and other associations to discuss practical matters such as investing in materials for continuing training.
Equal dignity for all citizens
Another central theme of the programme is furthering the principle of equal dignity or equal opportunities between men and women. It is emphasised that the European Community has already achieved significant progress in this area with the development of equal rights of access to employment, vocational training, in working conditions, and to large extent, in social protection. However, it is argued that much more needs to be done to achieve equality of opportunity at every level.
The ESC states that it will directly contribute to the achievement of a more effective policy framework by focusing and contributing to the debate on the equality dimension which is part of the 1999 Employment Guidelines (EU9810130F).
The Committee also expresses its intention to launch a series of initiatives with women's organisations and associations in different Member States, in order to establish a platform on women's priorities.
The employment challenge
The Committee's programme highlights the creation of jobs, especially for young people, for women and for long-term unemployed people, as an absolute priority for European civil society. It asserts the importance of the ESC's new Single Market Observatory, which was set up at the request of the European Parliament and aims to allow wide-ranging consultation among all those active in the fight against unemployment. The Committee pledges to build upon this work and to assist in the implementation of the 1999 Employment Guidelines. The Committee also aims to continue in its work on identifying best practice and on facilitating "benchmarking". In the immediate future, the Committee plans to organise an open debate, involving organised civil society, on EU labour market policies. In addition, it is recognised that the Amsterdam Treaty has granted the Economic and Social Committee a key position with regard to the drawing up of broad guidelines on employment policy underArticle 128.
Economic and Monetary Union
In its work programme, the ESC argues that EMU should be seen as an instrument for the provision of stable conditions for economic development and employment creation. The Committee pledges to monitor closely the introduction of EMU, as well as proposing that a standing study group on EMU be re-established within the section on EMU and economic and social cohesion, which will be named "EMU-employment" to emphasise the fact that the Committee believes that EMU is an essential instrument in fostering lasting growth. The Committee also envisages developing a frank and constructive dialogue with the European Central Bank.
Commentary
The Economic and Social Committee clearly plays a key role in facilitating and promoting dialogue between a wide range of interest groups. It thus provides the opportunity to establish a civil dialogue with NGOs and other representative groups alongside the social dialogue involving trade unions and employers' organisations, in order to provide a more inclusive and wide-ranging representation of interests. The role of the Committee has been enhanced by the Amsterdam Treaty, which has given the Committee responsibility for assisting in the drawing up of broad guidelines on employment policy. Additionally, the Treaty has enhanced the Committee's position in relation to the European Parliament, as an additional consultative function has been established. In respect of the Committee's relationship with the Commission, a report on the follow-up to Committee's opinions indicates that over 60% of the Committee's proposed revisions are adopted in the final texts of Regulations and Directives. Nevertheless, the ECS arguably remains in a somewhat marginalised position in the European decision-making process. (Peter Foster, ECOTEC Research &Consulting)