Social partners issue joint statement on future of EU

The Finnish social partners have issued a joint statement on the future of the European Union. A position paper signed by all of Finland's trade union and employers' confederations was delivered in February 2003 to the Finnish government and parliament, and to the Finnish members of the European Convention.

On 5 February 2003, the Finnish social partners issued a joint statement on the future of the European Union. The statement was signed by the central trade union confederations – the Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK), Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK) and Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland (AKAVA) – and employers’ organisations – the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (Teollisuuden ja Työnantajain Keskusliitto, TT) Employers’ Confederation of Service Industries in Finland (Palvelutyönantajat, PT), Commission for Local Authority Employers (Kunnallinen työmarkkinalaitos, KT), State Employers’ Office (Valtion työmarkkinalaitos, VTML) and Church of Finland Negotiating Commission (Kirkon sopimusvaltuuskunta, KiSV). It was delivered to the Finnish government, the Finnish parliament and its 'grand committee', and to the Finnish members of the European Convention- the body charged with preparing for the next Intergovernmental Conference, by proposing a new framework and structures for the Union, notably in the light of enlargement (EU0201231N) .

The joint position of the Finnish social partner confederations on the future of the EU is a rather unusual document by international standards. Previously, the confederations in Finland had expressed a common position on Finnish accession to the EU, on the impact of Economic and Monetary Union, on enlargement of the EU (FI0105185N), and on the reform of the European employment strategy (FI0206103N).

According to the new statement, the EU should continue to focus on developing a dynamic and fully functional internal market. It must evolve into the world’s most competitive region. The objective of the EU's 'Lisbon strategy'- agreed at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 (EU0004241F) - is to reinforce employment, economic growth and social cohesion as part of a knowledge-based economy. The basic principles must be respected in the reforms to be implemented in the near future.

In their statement, the Finnish social partners stress the importance of social dialogue and insist that the special status of social partner organisations must be respected at the EU level. From the point of view of European employees, businesses and other 'working communities', effective and wide-ranging social dialogue and collective bargaining are often more effective than restrictive legislation when seeking a workable solution. The organisations call for social dialogue and for the independent status of the social partners to be guaranteed in the forthcoming constitutional framework for the Union.

The social partners also support efforts to strengthen 'community method'-based policy-making in the EU. The status of the European Commission in overseeing the public interest is pivotal and should be reinforced. Policy-making in the Council of Ministers by a qualified majority should further supplant the requirement of unanimity in relations between the Member States as the Union enlarges. The co-decision procedure involving the European Parliament and the Council of Minsters must be the principal approach to preparing Community legislation. The principle of subsidiarity must also be strengthened and the division of competences between the EU and its Member States must be clarified. The statement stresses that these reforms will tend to improve the effectiveness, democratic character and credibility of the Union in the eyes of its citizens.