Portuguese Presidency holds conference on developing the European social model

On 19-21 January 2000, the Portuguese government, which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union, organised a conference to debate social policy and prepare the ground for the Lisbon employment summit in March 2000.

The Portuguese Ministry of Labour and Solidarity organised a conference in Lisbon on 19-21 January 2000, bringing together some 200 delegates, made up of social partner representatives, academics, politicians and representatives from EU institutions. Portugal holds the Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2000. The aim of the conference was to carry out some preparatory work in advance of the forthcoming Lisbon summit on employment, economic reforms and social cohesion, which is planned for 23-24 March 2000 (EU0001220N) and more specifically to debate and promote the role of the social dialogue, focusing on three key issues: lifelong learning; the modernisation of work organisation; and the financing of social security systems.

At the opening session of the conference, the acting deputy director general of the European Commission's Employment and Social Affairs DG, Odile Quentin, noted that the social partners play a key role in social policy matters both related to the Treaty and to the European employment strategy: "the social partners are the best placed to find the right balance between security and flexibility in today's changing workplace." She stressed the importance of a macroeconomic dialogue (EU9906180N) and the need for the social partners to develop an autonomous bargaining area at European level.

In a general debate concerning the "European social model", all speakers expressed support for this model, while noting that it needed to be modernised in response to trends such as globalisation, technological change and demographic movements.

There were, however, differences between the views of the employer and trade union representatives on a number of issues. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) called on employer representatives to join it in drawing up a charter of social dialogue for the coming 10 years. The issues which ETUC has highlighted as most important are: temporary agency work; access to training; and telework (EU0001224F). The ETUC deputy general secretary, Jean Lapeyre, specifically called on the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) to begin negotiations on temporary agency work and urged the Portuguese Presidency to move forward the European Commission's proposal for a Directive on national-level information and consultation (EU9812135F).

The European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) expressed a readiness to enter into negotiations at European level on minimum standards for lifelong learning, its secretary general, Jytte Fredensborg, noting that current changes in the workplace should be dealt with in a positive manner by emphasising education, training and lifelong learning for all. However, UNICE maintained that a more qualitative approach to social policy at EU level should be taken - UNICE's director of social affairs, Thérèse de Liedekerke, stated that the European model was envied by many and that: "employers no longer ask should there be regulation but how and what kind of regulation." UNICE also believes that social policy should be primarily a matter for the Member States and that the European-level social dialogue process should focus on the discussion of proposals and the exchange of best practice.