French EU Presidency sets out social policy agenda

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On 24 May 2000, Martine Aubry, the Minister for Employment and Solidarity, and Pierre Moscovici, the Junior Minister for European Affairs, presented the French National Assembly with the government's priorities for the French EU Presidency (July-December 2000) in the field of social policy. Three themes mark this agenda: the promotion of a Europe creating more high-quality jobs; making progress in building greater solidarity; and setting out a five-year social agenda for the EU.

France holds the Presidency of the European Union (EU) from July to December 2000. In addition to a full institutional programme, with the completion of the Intergovernmental Conference on the revision of the Treaties (EU0002229F) planned for the Nice European Council in December, the French authorities are planning to address a number of other topics, particularly social policy issues. Prime Minister Lionel Jospin presented an overall view of this programme to the National Assembly on 9 May 2000, the 50th anniversary of the Schuman-Monnet declaration, which inaugurated the the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). On 24 May, Martine Aubry, the Minister for Employment and Solidarity, and Pierre Moscovici, the Junior Minister for European Affairs, went into detail on this agenda, especially on its social policy element.

Three themes mark the latter: the promotion of a Europe creating more high-quality jobs; making progress in building greater solidarity; and setting out a five-year social agenda for the EU.

Promotion of a Europe creating more high-quality jobs

The stated objective of the French Presidency is to inject momentum into the EU's employment strategy (EU9909187F). As well as better evaluation of national policies and increased exchange of "good practice" the plan is to give the EU Employment Guidelines new, verifiable and quantifiable goals, particularly in the areas of services, gender equality, new technologies and local employment strategies. The French Presidency will be organising a conference on this last topic.

The French Presidency also seeks to strengthen the third pillar of the Employment Guidelines on encouraging adaptability of businesses and their employees. Investment in human resources, based on the concept of genuine lifelong learning, will be the subject of a conference held under the Presidency.

The French authorities intend to promote job creation while simultaneously strengthening the roles of the social partners. Negotiations on the draft Directive on informing and consulting workers at national level (EU9812135F) will be placed on the EU Council of Ministers' agenda, and the work of the Portuguese Presidency of the first half of 2000 will be built on in determining the ways in which workers are to be involved in the "European Company Statute (EU9911211F)."

Making progress in building greater solidarity

The desire to ensure social cohesion and solidarity in Europe is expressed around four topics: the fight against social exclusion; combating all forms of discrimination; strengthening social welfare provision; and reinforcing the European public health policy. In terms of social welfare provision, the four lines of policy decided at the special Lisbon European Council meeting on employment in March 2000 (EU0004241F) will be extended, especially that of guaranteeing safe retirement pensions and viable pension schemes. The initial report on this issue of the group of senior civil servants responsible for social welfare provision will be presented to the European Council meeting in Nice. However, this policy will absolutely not be aimed at achieving convergence between the national schemes, nor at applying procedures similar to those on employment laid out in the Treaty of Amsterdam, but to "make further progress in exchanging experiences about challenges common to all" (to quote Martine Aubry).

The strengthening of European public health policy will be achieved through the implementation of the new European public health framework plan. In terms of sanitary and food safety, the French Presidency supports the European Commission's proposal for an independent European Food Authority. Lastly, the principle of precaution should become a determining factor in the action of EU institutions in this area.

Setting out a five-year social agenda for the EU

The French authorities want to establish an ambitious social policy agenda setting out a schedule for EU action in this field. On the basis of a forthcoming Commission Communication (EU0005250F), this "new social agenda" is set to be adopted at December's European Council meeting in Nice. For the French Presidency, this agenda should enable; the "European social model" to be conceptualised; a plan of practical action with deadlines to be established; all the actors concerned to be involved; and a higher profile to be afforded to "social Europe".

In addition to this social agenda in the strict sense, the French Presidency will be addressing issues which may, directly or indirectly, affect the social partners and industrial relations. With this in mind, the French government will reopen the debate on public services. It also has to complete the work now underway on the proposed EU Charter of fundamental rights (EU0004242F). It would like this Charter to provide a guarantee of both economic and social rights. The French government seems particularly determined to adopt "a Charter of fundamental rights with an extensive social content", to use Pierre Moscovici's expression.