----

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘How to integrate social aspects into the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations’

(2006/C 65/15)

In a letter of 2 July 2004 from Commissioner Loyola de Palacio, the Commission, in accordance with Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, asked the European Economic and Social Committee to draw up an opinion on How to integrate social aspects into the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations

The Section for External Relations, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 10 November 2005. The rapporteur was Antonello Pezzini and the co-rapporteur Gérard Dantin.

At its 422nd plenary session (meeting of 14 December 2005) the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 125 votes to 2 with 7 abstentions:

1.   Introduction

1.1   The framework of the opinion

2.   General comments

3.   The participation of civil society

4.   Development of employment

5.   Individual and social rights

6.   Gender issues

7.   Conclusions and recommendations

Brussels, 14 December 2005

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie Sigmund

----

(1)  Article 25, Cotonou Agreement.

(2)  Addis Ababa resolution of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, preamble Q(3643/04/DEF.).

(3)  Article 46, Cotonou Agreement.

(4)  Article 48, relating to the WTO Agreements.

(5)  Article 49.

(6)  Article 50.

(7)  Article 51.

(8)  Article 54.

(9)  Article 75.

(10)  Article 45, Cotonou Agreement.

(11)  Views expressed in meetings with Commission officials.

(12)  They are made up of representatives of each state and representatives of the Commission drawn from the delegations.

(13)  Cf. CESE 521/2002, (rapporteur Mr Baeza Sanjuan).

(14)  The vertical partnership goes hand in hand with the horizontal partnership, which includes the mandatory participation of civil society in drawing up and managing regional operation plans.

(15)  The Commission documents (DG Development) specify the categories other than workers and employers: human rights organisations; grassroots organisations; women's organisations; young people's associations; child protection organisations; representatives of native populations; environmental protection organisations; agricultural organisations; consumers' associations; representatives of religious bodies; NGOs; cultural and media associations.

(16)  Cf. in particular the following articles: Articles 2, 4-7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 17, 19-24,25, 33, 37, 56, 57, 58, 65, 70, 71, 72, 74-78, 81. Civil society is also mentioned in the Joint Declaration on the actors in the partnership (Declaration 1 annexed to the Final Act), in Annex IV, Article 4, in the Compendium on cooperation strategies, and in the programming guidelines.

(17)  Civil society actors must be constantly informed, and they receive funds; they must be involved in the implementation of the projects; they enjoy cultural and financial support for continuing improvements in their organisation.

(18)  Article 50 of the Cotonou Agreement and ILO fundamental standards.

(19)OJ C 74, 23.3.2005.

(20)  Association Convention of the Treaty of Rome (Art. 131); Yaoundé I and II; Lomé I, II, III, IV and IVa.

(21)  In many African cultures property does not belong to the individual family but to the ‘mbumba’, the entire extended patriarchal family of several dozen people. This is an obstacle to the accumulation of wealth, which becomes the property of all, including those who have not produced it.

(22)  Cf. footnote 17.

(23)  The fight against poverty through promotion of sustainable development: a partnership approach (CESE 104/2003, Rapporteur Mr Ehnmark).

(24)  Cf. Articles 19-27.

(25)  Cf. also the ILO ‘Decent Work’ strategy.

(26)  Aristotle said that man's brain and culture enable him to understand the world while training and the work of his hands enable him to make a contribution to it.

(27)  Seed varieties; production techniques; machinery; water transport, conservation and management.

(28)OJ C 74, 23.3.2005.

(29)  Employers', workers', consumers', equal-opportunities, animal-welfare etc. associations.

(30)  European experiences of managing vocational training, in centres run jointly by representatives of the social partners and administrations, have yielded valuable results, for both young people and the labour market.

(31)  Recent OECD studies show that 50 % of young people who leave developing countries have professional qualifications and could therefore make a very valuable contribution to the development of their country.

(32)  Cf. Opinion on the Green Paper on relations between the European Union and the ACP countries on the eve of the 21st century - challenges and options for a new partnership (Rapporteur: Mr Malosse), REX 152/1997.

(33)OJ C 74, 23.3.2005 — The role of women's organisations as non-state actors in implementing the Cotonou Agreement (Rapporteur: Ms Florio).

(34)  Trade unions and collective bargaining: economic effects in a globalised environment, World Bank, Washington, 2003.

(35)OJ C 221, 8.9.2005.

(36)  See attached – footnote 39.

(37)  Cf. REX 154, rapporteur: Susanna Florio: in developing countries 61 % of men have at least a basic school education, compared to 41 % of women.

(38)  According to FAO studies, women in Africa receive only 10 % of loans earmarked for small land owners.

(39)  Gender issues affect women in particular, but also people who might be discriminated against for economic, religious, racial, age and cultural reasons.

(40)  Article 3 of the Treaty states that ‘in all its activities, including those relating to development cooperation, the EU shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women’.

(41)  COM(2001) 295 final, Programme of Action for the mainstreaming of gender equality in Community Development Cooperation (2001/2006).

(42)  Dakar, October 2003, Aprodev Conference, The gender dimension of EPAs.

(43)  GERA Programme, Phase II/Third World Network-Africa.

(44)  The EU has vast experience in this field. Cf. the ILO programme for European women in the 1980s and the numerous projects funded by the former DG V to promote equal opportunities for men and women. The ongoing EQUAL Programme should also be mentioned.

(45)  GVA6 (gross value added of the six most important economic sectors which together determine the GDP) – GVA1: agriculture; GVA2: manufacturing sector; GVA3: building; GVA4: commerce and tourism; GVA5: credit and services to enterprises; GVA6: administration.

(46)  These include those commissioned by the African Development Bank.

(47)  It is instructive to consider the problems still facing the European Union fifty years after its creation.

----