Development & Aid, Environment, Europe, Headlines

DEVELOPMENT: EU Urged to Consider Social Growth

Stefania Bianchi

BRUSSELS, Mar 7 2006 (IPS) - Trade unions and social groups are urging European Union leaders to put social and environmental objectives at the heart of the bloc’s growth and jobs strategy when they meet for their annual spring summit later this month.

European Union (EU) heads of states and governments will meet in Brussels March 23-24 to discuss progress of the Lisbon strategy, which aims to boost the EU economy, strengthen the global competitiveness of the bloc, and increase employment.

EU leaders agreed in March 2000 to make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010.” They set a target of 3 percent average economic growth and the creation of 20 million jobs by 2010.

Sustainable development is the underlying principle of all EU policies, but unions and social groups say the emphasis by the European Commission, the EU executive, on competitiveness, economic growth and job creation is compromising social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

The Commission presented a review of its sustainable development strategy last December. This mid-term review is now being discussed by European institutions.

Trade unionists and social non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who met Monday (Mar. 6) say the social dimension of the strategy, which was part of the original Lisbon agreement of 2000, has been marginalised. They say the environmental dimension needs to be re-emphasised.

Delegates at the conference organised by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Platform of European Social NGOs (Social Platform) discussed the relationship between the Union’s revised Lisbon strategy and the EU’s sustainable development goals.

The groups are urging the EU to “show stronger leadership than ever” in addressing priority concerns such as high unemployment, low quality jobs, downgraded social welfare and protection systems, social dumping, risks to health and quality of life, and the unprecedented rate of depletion of natural resources.

The EEB, ETUC and Social Platform say Europeans have reason to worry because the bloc is confronted with major social and ecological challenges.

“The revised Lisbon Strategy is incomplete and imbalanced. It is putting the main emphasis on the economic pillar of competitiveness, mainly focusing on building an internal market that has no barriers for business,” the groups said in a joint statement Monday.

“Meanwhile, it is forgetting that the forces of competition need a social and ecological framework to keep them away from cut-throat competition, social dumping, environmental disasters and the depletion of natural capital,” they added.

The groups say European leadership must be driven by wider concerns than a “business-friendly agenda of internal market and simplified regulation.” They say the welfare of present and future generations within and outside of Europe must be at the heart of any “real” strategy.

“Our analysis of the national reform programmes shows that national actions that lack a clear and unambiguous European framework risk making matters worse. The EU should provide a genuine framework for reform,” Anne-Sophie Parent, president of Social Platform told IPS Tuesday (Mar. 7).

“Europe needs to use its strength of working together to trigger a race to the top in the areas of environment, research, eco-innovation, social protection and social cohesion, education, childcare and lifelong learning,” she added.

Mikael Karlsson, president of the EEB, says tackling global climate change requires global solutions.

“So far Europe’s leaders have talked much but done less. A truly global leadership requires the EU to phase out harmful energy subsidies and put a price on the environment through a strengthened emissions trading scheme in combination with environmental tax reform,” he told IPS.

The three organisations are proposing a number of measures to help steer the economy in the “right social and environmental direction”, while ensuring the creation of prosperity and employment.

The groups say the EU must give priority to balanced sustainable development objectives in research and development programmes, take a balanced approach towards better regulation, and in the design of better regulation initiatives avoid giving priority to favouring cost savings for business rather than safeguarding people’s health and environmental and social protection.

They say the EU must present a “roadmap” for social justice and fair working conditions to make productive and positive change happen and “finally adopt a consistent approach towards energy issues at EU level”, focusing on achieving sustainable development.

“The European Union simply cannot afford to ignore issues which are of such major concern to people in Europe like huge unemployment, the lack of availability of good job opportunities, risks to health and the environment. These justified concerns must be addressed,” John Monks, secretary-general of the ETUC told IPS.