A4-0392/98

Resolution on the communication from the Commission on adapting and promoting the social dialogue at Community level (COM(98)0322 - C4-0513/98)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission (COM(98)0322 - C4-0513/98),

- having regard to Article 118b of the Treaty establishing the European Community,

- having regard to Articles 3 and 4 of the Agreement on Social Policy concluded between the Member States of the European Community with the Exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ((Hereinafter 'Agreement on Social Policy'.)) and having regard to the declaration of accession to this Agreement made by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Amsterdam Intergovernmental Conference,

- having regard to its resolution of 18 July 1997 ((OJ C 286, 22.9.1997, p. 338.)) on the Commission communication concerning the development of the social dialogue at Community level (COM(96)0448),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0392/98),

A. whereas the social dialogue is a proven instrument for generating and continuing to build economic and social cohesion in the Community, and should be further developed,

B. whereas the powers and responsibilities of representatives of the two sides of industry are increasing, particularly as a result of the incorporation of the Agreement on Social Policy in the Draft Treaty of Amsterdam and because of its role in connection with the European employment strategy and because of the need to involve them in economic policy in the context of Economic and Monetary Union,

C. whereas the upgrading of the role of representatives of the two sides of industry must be taken into account by modernising and systematising the existing information, consultation and negotiating structures in the context of the social dialogue,

D. whereas representatives of employers and employees other than UNICE, CEEP and ETUC should be given the opportunity to participate appropriately in future negotiations pursuant to Articles 3 and 4 of the Agreement on Social Policy,

E. whereas a precise definition of the partners to be involved in the legislative procedure under the Agreement on Social Policy is essential in the interests of legal certainty, representativeness and legitimacy,

F. whereas the necessary tightening-up of the existing consultation arrangements must not be abused either as a pretext for reducing the resources allocated to the social dialogue or as a means of diluting the powers of Directorate-General V within the Commission,

G. whereas, even after the incorporation of the Agreement on Social Policy into the Treaty of Amsterdam, the role of the European Parliament in the prescribed legislative procedure involving representatives of the two sides of industry (the future Article 139 of the Amsterdam Treaty) remains unsatisfactory,

H. whereas the development of the social dialogue in the Central and Eastern European countries which have applied for accession ought to play a central role in the pre-accession strategy, and should therefore be promoted as a matter of priority,

1. Considers it vital, in order to establish arrangements which serve their purpose effectively and to enable all relevant European organisations representing employers and employees to participate, to lay down provisions governing the access of representatives of the two sides of industry to the social dialogue, and their functions in it, on the basis of clear criteria, in order to avoid any unnecessary delay in the conclusion of essential agreements on important European social topics;

2. Considers it vital, in the interests of social cohesion, which is one of the primary pillars of the Union, to clarify and flesh out the new role of the European social partners in the light of the attainment of Economic and Monetary Union and its impact on macroeconomic policy, wages policy and the organisation and financing of social security; calls on the Commission to propose a clear consultative platform for this purpose;

3. Considers it necessary, in the field of information and general consultation, to promote and ensure the broadest possible participation by organisations representing the two sides of industry, especially SMEs, using all appropriate technical resources;

4. Endorses the central measures proposed by the Commission to promote the exchange of information, particularly as they accord with Parliament's abovementioned resolution of 18 July 1997;

5. Reiterates its demand that, in addition to the criteria for determining representativeness proposed by the Commission in its communication of December 1993 on implementation of the Protocol on Social Policy (COM(93)0600), high priority be assigned to voluntary membership; considers, however, that the involvement of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce in the social dialogue should be permitted, but only as an exceptional arrangement;

6. Takes the view that the case-by-case assessment of the representativeness of signatories which the Commission proposes and which is to take into account the scope of the subject for negotiation, as part of the legislative procedure pursuant to Articles 3 and 4 of the Agreement on Social Policy, may be capable of assigning greater weight to the special interests of SMEs and other organisations representing the two sides of industry; expects, however, that case-by-case assessments will be carried out in accordance with predetermined and verifiable criteria;

7. Queries whether the setting-up of advisory committees to assist the negotiating partners during negotiations under the Agreement on Social Policy can be regarded as useful;

8. Considers that genuine social dialogue can take place only between independent partners who have themselves elected to negotiate with one another; it is important, therefore, to distinguish between, on the one hand, information and consultation in the various advisory committees with the participation of the Commission, Council or national governments and, on the other hand, actual collective negotiations between autonomous partners;

9. Regards the upgrading of sectoral dialogue by means of the 'new committees' whose setting-up the Commission proposes as positive in principle, provided that the Commission also uses them effectively, efficiently and purposefully as bodies for information and consultation, and with the proviso that the number of members of the committees should be reduced; considers, however, that in determining who is to provide secretarial services and chair the committees, care must be taken to ensure that duties are transferred from Directorate-General V to a different directorate-general only if Directorate-General V explicitly transfers them;

10. Considers that in the sectoral committees it is necessary to distinguish very carefully between tripartite discussions and actual negotiations between autonomous partners;

11. Welcomes the central measures to reform the Standing Committee on Employment, particularly the proposed cooperation between the two sides of industry in this committee and the Steering Group of the Employment and Labour Market Committee, which is a Council body; criticises the Commission, however, for failing to consult representatives of the two sides of industry before the decision to replace the existing joint committees with sectoral negotiating committees;

12. Calls for not only the employment guidelines but also the economic policy guidelines to be discussed by the Standing Committee on Employment; the results of the consultations should also be forwarded to the Ecofin Council before the latter definitively adopts its position;

13. Considers that the reduction of the number of representatives of the two sides of industry in the reformed Standing Committee on Employment to twelve each makes it necessary for the Commission particularly to increase its support for the representatives of workers' organisations so that internal consultations between the organisations and the representatives in the committee can take place under appropriate conditions;

14. Calls on the Commission to increase the transparency of the planning and use of the appropriations available for the social dialogue so that the organisations involved and the European Parliament can ascertain for what activities within the social dialogue what appropriations are being planned or spent;

15. Calls on the Commission to draft a White Paper on the impact of Economic and Monetary Union on wage trends and other working conditions, and on the volume and quality of employment, in the Community;

16. Appreciates the Commission's willingness to continue to inform Parliament comprehensively and in good time about developments as part of the legislative procedure under the Agreement on Social Policy, and to give it the opportunity to deliver an opinion before the Council takes an official decision;

17. Welcomes the Commission's statement that it wishes to hold interinstitutional deliberations between the Commission, Council and European Parliament to discuss the role of the European institutions (including therefore the European Parliament) in the legislative procedure following the incorporation of the Agreement on Social Policy in the Amsterdam Treaty, which Parliament regards as a commendable expression of the Commission's willingness to cooperate with the European Parliament and as an act of political farsightedness; expects the Council to be equally willing to enter into interinstitutional negotiations;

18. Reiterates therefore its call for an Interinstitutional Agreement to implement Articles 3 and 4 of the Agreement on Social Policy, laying down the legal and institutional framework for the decision-making procedures of the representatives of the two sides of industry at Community level;

19. Considers that these deliberations should begin without delay and be completed before the end of the present parliamentary term; their purpose should be not only to solve the problem of the provision of information to the European Parliament concerning negotiations between the two sides of industry but above all to comply with its call for completely equal status with the Council;

20. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has taken up its suggestion that the applicant countries be included in the social dialogue and that the social dialogue in those countries be promoted;

21. Expects the Commission to devote more attention to the expanding crossborder, regional social dialogue and submit an assessment of these activities to the European Parliament within the foreseeable future;

22. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.