Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, when the European Employment Strategy was adopted five years ago it was seen as an important step towards combating unemployment. All in all, its four pillars have passed the test. The first, employability, includes developing skills and qualifications. The second concerns the adaptability of the individual to the ever-increasing demands in companies and society. The third is entrepreneurship with the aim of job creation, and the fourth, equal opportunities, is one of the most important pillars, which, like the others, needs to be developed further. The very ambitious aim is to make the European Union into the most dynamic knowledge-based economic area in the world, but this is not only significant in terms of the economy; there are also clear implications for social policy. In 1997 there were 17 million people unemployed in the European Union. Last year there were 13 million. This year, however, the figures are clearly rising again. This is particularly noticeable in my own country, Germany. We must not become accustomed to these high figures. In some countries, however, there has been an increase in employment and women in particular have benefited from this. Nevertheless – and here is the rub – the jobs concerned are mainly part-time and lower qualified jobs. The Member States must, by creating the appropriate conditions, by policy-making and by negotiating constructively with the social partners, create higher quality jobs, in particular in the full-time sector. We are still miles away from achieving the ambitious goal set in the Lisbon Council Conclusions of an employment rate of 70% or 60% for women between 2000 and 2010. In my opinion, which was adopted unanimously in the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities, we criticise the fact that the Member States still have not set any employment rates for women in their national action plans. In the NAPs no significant suggestions are made for improving performance in the equality initiative. On average women earn 76% of the hourly rate for men. The social partners are called on to implement the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. To create jobs, women also need to be encouraged to found firms or become self-employed through targeted support. What does this involve? Reducing the burden on business, simplifying the formalities, particularly at the start-up phase, and setting up funds. It also involves securing access for women to education and vocational training. Gender-specific discrimination must therefore be combated energetically. We call for these steps to be included in the national action plans in the future so that their results can be monitored. In the Committee on Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights we addressed one further interesting issue: how better to reconcile work and family life. Progress has definitely been made in the Member States. However, in many cases working conditions are not sufficiently family friendly. There are not enough facilities for the care of children and other dependents and in general there is a lack of flexibility. The main points in my opinion were accepted unanimously by the lead committee, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. I should like to take this opportunity to thank Herman Schmid for his concise report and for his ability not only to seek compromises but also to put them into practice. My work in the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities was not the only say that I had in the Schmid report, because I was also the shadow rapporteur for my group, the PPE, in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Despite a willingness to establish common ground, there were quite a few differences of opinion. That is why we will be tabling amendments again tomorrow in the plenary. Let me give you an example. Since the Luxembourg employment summit, which was initiated by the highly successful Council Presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker, we have all endeavoured to achieve better coordination of economic and employment policy. Agreed! However, we must not ignore the fact that it is the responsibility of the Member States to take the practical measures. That is where investment is made, but unfortunately all too often withheld. That is where the competence for taxation, social security and other charges lies. There social policy is at home with different national traditions. We do not agree that the open coordination method needs to be extended to all areas of social policy. Although it is necessary to strengthen democracy and involve as many stakeholders as possible, we must not have it extended haphazardly to any number of players in civil society, because there is a risk, Commissioner, that Members of Parliament, at both national and European level, and the social partners will be sidelined in the process. That would be wrong. I hope that we are successful in winning the support of other groups for this and other important amendments. If so we will have a majority not only in the committees but also in the plenary tomorrow in favour of Herman Schmid's otherwise expert report.

Political group: PPE-DE