Commissioner, Mr President, I should first of all like to thank the rapporteur for the quality of his analysis of the Commission’s report. The analysis which he has carried out is very painstaking, and it really does enable us to ask ourselves about the relevance and, the effectiveness of this European Employment Service, both in terms of its strategy and objectives and in relation to the resources which have been used in order to achieve the objective of worker mobility and access to the European employment market. Like previous speakers, I should like to emphasise the value of the activity report. I should also like, however, to draw attention to its weakness, which lies in its lack of critical evaluation. However, the text presented by our rapporteur will supplement the report as far as this aspect is concerned. This report is timely, insofar as it highlights the role which EURES can and should play in the more general context of the European employment strategy, particularly if, as has been requested, the question of its having its formal legal basis in the Treaties is reviewed. EURES should be entirely integrated into the strategy, defined at Lisbon and reinforced at Stockholm, on the removal of obstacles to mobility within the labour market. It seems to me that there are three points which need emphasising. First there is the issue of mobility, which has already been mentioned. Everyone praises its merits, but I do not believe that it should be regarded as an end in itself, or as a risky gamble on the future, and still less as a choice that is made by default because there are no job opportunities at home. It must be possible for it to be a positive choice, and in that case mobility should not have to face all sorts of obstacles with regard to consistency between social security systems and taxation systems, double taxation, and the recognition of qualifications etc. Secondly, let us emphasise the importance of information on the existence of the European Employment Service, particularly in border regions. Communications must be strengthened, and addressed as a matter of priority to professional organisations, training centres and universities. The added value of the European dimension is not necessarily clear to see, and yet the fact that this Community strategy in favour of employment is taking the very practical form of providing openings in the employment market at European level is an excellent example of what can be achieved. Finally, I should like to end my speech by mentioning the question of enlargement. In view of the fears which have been expressed here and there in certain Member States of the Union, regarding the prospect of the massive and uncontrolled arrival of workers from the candidate countries, I believe that EURES should have a role to play here, by making it possible to anticipate difficulties, whether real or imagined, in particular by facilitating dialogue and by making it possible for the employment services of the countries concerned to work together with the various social partners involved in the major issue of job mobility in the Union as it is today and in the enlarged Union of tomorrow.

Political group: PSE