Commission sets out five-year objectives

The European Commission issued two policy documents on 9 February 2000. One outlines its strategic objectives for the coming five years and the other details its plans for 2000. In terms of social policy, the emphasis in 2000 is on drawing up a new social policy action programme and a new gender equality framework programme, and on social partner consultation on the modernisation of work.

The European Commission issued two separate documents on 9 February 2000. The first is a Communication to the European institutions (the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions), entitled Shaping the new Europe. Strategic objectives 2000-2005, in which the Commission's objectives for its full five-year term under PresidentRomano Prodi are set out. The second is a Communication to the European institutions specifically concerning the Commission's work programme for 2000. Both documents contain details of the Commission's intentions in the area of employment and social policy. Launching the documents, President Prodi noted that the EU "has a solid platform on which to build a politically integrated Europe which acts decisively on the world stage while respecting the diverse identities of its member countries. The coming five years will prove decisive". He listed four key objectives which the Commission wishes to pursue, amongst them the creation of a new economic and social agenda, which will have as a particular objective the creation of full employment.

The five-year programme

The Commission notes that its priority in terms of employment and social affairs is to tackle unemployment, largely by means of taking advantage of economic upturn in order to implement structural reforms. It states that over 15 million people are currently looking for work in the EU, which is a major source of poverty and also places an unacceptable burden on Member State social security systems.

It also identifies the need to absorb new technology, modernise the working environment and to "create a well-trained and digitally-literate workforce whose ideas reach the market place quickly", noting that Europe lags behind competitors such as the USA, in terms of the take-up of new wealth-creating technologies.

In terms of the "European social model", the Commission wishes to work towards improving and modernising it in order to enable it to survive "in a world where rapid, unharnessed change threatens to deepen the divide between the haves and the have-nots". The Commission also aims to encourage reforms of the social protection, healthcare and pensions systems in Member States, within the context of an ageing population and shrinking workforce: "Our aim is to deliver a welfare state based on solidarity that can remain fair, caring and inclusive in a climate of more cautious public spending".

The Commission lists the priorities for coordinated action at EU and national level as follows:

• to aim for full employment as an economic and social policy objective and to cut unemployment to levels in the best-performing countries;

• to create a new economic dynamism by means of economic reform in labour, product and capital markets. The transition to an information society should be given the same political energy and attention as the launch of the single market and the single currency. It notes that the forthcoming special European Council meeting in Lisbon in March 2000 (EU0001220N) will provide the impetus needed for this;

• to make pensions systems safe and sustainable. This will be the responsibility of Member States, although the Commission states that the EU's role is to support their efforts in this regard;

• to develop a European strategy for the fight against social exclusion, the reduction of poverty and the disparities between the regions and territories of Europe;

• to review the quality of public expenditure and long-term sustainability of public finances;

• to stimulate European research, largely by debating the creation of a "European Research Area";

• to encourage investment in human capital in the furtherance of a knowledge-based society; and

• to develop and strengthen the European model of agriculture in order to increase this sector's competitiveness and sustainability.

The Commission's 2000 work programme

This document sets out the Commission's objectives specifically for this year, grouping them into four main priorities:

• promoting new forms of European governance;

• a stable Europe with a stronger voice in the world;

• a new economic and social agenda; and

• a high quality of life for all.

In terms of social policy, efforts in 2000 will concentrate on modernising the European social model and strengthening social cohesion: "It will be essential to ensure that the transformation of society and the economy is managed in a manner which maximises opportunities to participate in society and which promotes social cohesion." In particular, the Commission notes that the modernisation of the European social model is necessary in the context of fundamental changes in both society and the economy, particularly those related to globalisation, technological innovation and demographic trends.

In concrete terms, the Commission states that a new social action programme will be presented during the course of this year. This will replace the current programme, launched in 1998 (EU9805104F), which expires at the end of 2000.

The Commission notes that gender equality is an important policy orientation and a fifth framework programme on gender equality will be issued in 2000. Further, the Commission will launch an initiative for cooperation at EU level between the Member States on this issue of social inclusion and will subsequently issue a proposal under Article 137 of the Treaty (which enables action on issues including the integration of persons excluded from the labour market). It states that it will also continue work towards the implementation of the proposed anti-discrimination measures issued in November 1999 (EU9912318F) and based on Article 13 of the Treaty.

In terms of social dialogue, the Commission states that it will continue to support the social dialogue at EU level and encourage the social partners to strengthen their contribution to the European employment strategy. Following its 1998 Communication on the modernisation of work (EU9901146F), the Commission intends to launch the first stage of consultation with the social partners on the issue of adaptability and modernisation of work organisation and working conditions.

The European employment strategy, launched at the Luxembourg summit in 1997 (EU9711168F) will be strengthened during 2000 and it is hoped that availability of data will be improved, particularly in relation to the services sector.

Commentary

These two documents give an idea of the Commission's likely social policy direction over the coming five years. It is apparent that there will be no great raft of new legislative initiatives, although some new actions are planned. Most specifically, a new social action programme will be drawn up during the course of 2000, which is likely to outline more detail of the Commission's planned actions in the medium term. In addition, there will be a consultation exercise of the social partners on the subject of the modernisation of work.

The focus of the Commission appears to be particularly on gender equality, with an express commitment to draw up a new gender equal framework programme during the year. This may contain proposals in areas such as sexual harassment, which was the subject of a Commission consultation exercise with the social partners in 1996, but which has not been progressed since the social partners failed to agree to enter into talks on this issue in 1997.

It is also likely that the Commission's recent Article 13 anti-discrimination proposals will remain a high profile issue, given the Commission's express commitment to facilitate their progress through the EU decision-making machinery. However, the fate of the Commission's draft Directive on national-level information and consultation structures, issued in November 1998 (EU9812135F) and not yet discussed in Council (EU9911211F), is not as certain, as this subject receives no mention in the Commission's documents. However, the Commission is understood to be organising a conference to discuss this issue in April 2000. (Andrea Broughton, IRS).