Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should obviously, first and foremost, like to congratulate Mrs Hermange and thank her for her excellent cooperation. The result is there for everyone to see. This report is based on a very broad consensus, for not one single amendment has been tabled. However, I should also like to say that, with this report, the European Parliament actually falls between two stools. On the one hand, it is a fact that the scoreboard which we are discussing has actually been outdated for a long time. On the other hand, the new scoreboard has not yet been finally rubberstamped by the European Commission, despite the fact that, in Stockholm, we were assured that this scoreboard, together with the summary report for Barcelona, would be before us by no later than January. I should, at any rate, like to thank the Commissioner for the opportunity we have had, together with the coordinators, of obtaining current information about the Commission’s intentions, and of making our concerns known regarding the state of implementation of the Social Agenda. Commissioner, in my view, we should make this sound initiative an integral part of the procedure in order to guarantee Parliament’s involvement during the implementation of the Social Agenda. I should therefore like to afford this debate a little more topical value by seizing the opportunity urgently to call upon you, Commissioner, but especially – and I am stressing this – the entire board of Commissioners, to implement the ambitions of the Social Agenda and the pledges made during the Swedish and Belgian Presidencies down to the last detail and according to the time schedule. After all, Commissioner, there are quite a few reasons why we are concerned. It is, of course, the case that 2001 has produced some welcome results, but it is vital to keep this momentum going and, for this, we need a new and better scoreboard, which clearly indicates the responsibilities with the attendant expiry dates. I will give you a few reasons why we are concerned. First of all, the role of the social partners in relation to labour organisation and lifelong learning is crucial if the Social Agenda is to be implemented , and I hope that their contribution to Barcelona will be considerable. But where consultation fails, the legislator needs to step in, and this is currently the case with temporary agency work, in connection with which we have long been waiting impatiently for a Commission proposal. Secondly, following the successful completion of the directive on worker participation in the framework of the European Company and the directive on the information and consultation of workers, nothing now stands in the way of a review of the enterprise committee directive. This also applies to the action plan to improve health and safety which Mrs Hermange introduced a moment ago. According to the Social Agenda, the initiatives should have been before us at the end of 2001/beginning of 2002, but, Commissioner, there is no trace of these in the operational programme of the Commission. I am also picking up signals that there is quite a bit of resistance in the Commission. I should therefore like to say one thing in conclusion, Mr President. I should like you, Commissioner, to pass on these words to the College of Commissioners: pacta sunt servanda [Treaties should be respected]. This Parliament will never accept the Social Agenda being shelved, and I hope that you will be able to use the support of this Parliament in the College of Commissioners.

Political group: PSE