A4-0121/96

Resolution on the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament concerning the Establishment of a European Centre for Industrial Relations (ECIR) (COM(95)0445 - C4-0440/95)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament concerning the Establishment of a European Centre for Industrial Relations (ECIR) (COM(95)0445 - C4-0440/95),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0121/96),

A. whereas, in its preliminary draft budget for the financial year 1996 (COM(95)0300 - Section III) the Commission established a new item (B3-4005) with a view to accommodating a possible grant to the European Centre for Industrial Relations,

B. whereas Parliament decided in its first reading of 26 October 1995 to allocate ECU 1.5 million to this item and provisionally enter this amount into chapter B0-40 pending adoption of Parliament's opinion on the Commission Communication concerning the financing of the ECIR (Amendment 128) ((OJ C 308, 20.11.1995, p. 253.)),

C. whereas the above decision was confirmed in the final reading of the 1996 budget on 14 December 1995 (Amendment 78) ((OJ C 17, 22.1.1996, p. 314.)) and thereby established ((OJ L 22, 29.1.1996, p. 948.)),

D. whereas at the beginning of 1994 the social partners ETUC, UNICE and CEEP informed the Commission of their intention to set up a joint centre for industrial relations,

E. whereas from the very start the Commission was involved in the negotiations to establish and fund the Centre,

F. whereas the Commission failed from the outset to inform Parliament of the developments which were taking place even though there were clear implications for the budget of the European Union,

G. whereas the preliminary draft budget for 1996 was the first official document to the budgetary authority referring to the establishment of the above centre,

H. whereas the Commission Communication was forwarded on 27 September 1995, only one month before the official opening of the centre,

I. whereas the financing of this newly established centre should be considered in the wider framework of European social dialogue activities and agencies,

1. Welcomes the efforts to promote social dialogue at European Union level by means of workers'/employers' joint initiatives;

2. Recognizes the establishment of a European Centre for Industrial Relations jointly managed by the social partners ETUC, UNICE and CEEP as it has the potential to play a valuable role in developing this policy;

3. Censures the Commission's failure to give timely advice to Parliament of the preparations for the establishment of the Centre and warns the Commission against any future attempt to make decisions of this kind without Parliament's due involvement;

4. Urges the social partners concerned to ensure that intended projects which are to be co-financed by the Community are discussed with Parliament as one arm of the budgetary authority;

5. Recognizes that there are a number of bodies financially supported by the European Union involved in social dialogue at national and European level;

6. Is concerned that the Commission and Parliament should effectively monitor the various activities in the field of social dialogue financed by the European Union to ensure quality and avoid duplication;

7. Considers it essential that the Commission should inform Parliament about:

- what activities the European Union is financing in the social sphere, specifying their purpose and content, and

- what system of control it has set up or intends to set up to guarantee the quality of these activities and prevent duplication;

with regard to the Centre

8. Urges the actors involved to ensure that the activities of the Centre are open to the widest possible range of beneficiaries, with particular emphasis on people directly involved in social dialogue at national, regional, local and sectoral level;

9. Takes the view that this can be achieved provided the structure of the courses managed by the Centre takes account of the work commitments of participants and the financial cost per trainee;

10. Therefore advocates more flexible arrangements (e.g. modular approach) and reduction in the length of the so-called 'long courses';

11. Would like to ensure that the Centre has an adequate multiplier effect; therefore calls on the Centre to provide training for representatives of management and trade unions in order enable them to act as 'tutors in European industrial relations' at workplace level;

12. Supports the idea of providing training opportunities for social partners represented on the Advisory Committees assisting the Commission and expects that this will improve the workings and effectiveness of these bodies;

13. Is concerned that the training role of the Centre might be undermined by the development of research-oriented activities; is therefore not convinced of the value of establishing a Chair in European Industrial Relations at the European University Institute to be funded out of the Centre's budget;

14. May however consider a position for a research coordinator to be created in order to maximise the benefits of research on industrial relations carried out by other bodies within the EU;

15. Stresses that, in order to safeguard the 'added value' of the Centre, well balanced participation of all social partners must be achieved at all times;

with regard to the 1996 budget

16. Instructs its Committee on Budgets to release the appropriations provisionally entered in Chapter B0-40 in order to allow the Centre to become operational in keeping with its work programme for the current year;

17. Instructs its Committee on Social Affairs and Employment to evaluate the Centre's activities during this year and review the Centre's work in relation to other activities carried out within the context of European social dialogue;

18. Urges the social partners involved in establishing the Centre not to create a Chair in European Industrial Relations or establish the proposed Committee of Honour, at least until the above review has been completed;

19. Recognizes that the director of the Centre will need to consult with specialists in the field of industrial relations to assist with the design and evaluation of relevant courses and action research;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and to the Secretaries-General of ETUC, UNICE and CEEP.