Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled Social Policy Agenda"
Date: 2000-12-13
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU initiative, European social policy, anti-discriminatory measure, employment policy, enlargement of the Union, social-security benefit

16.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 144/55

— the

experience and ability of

local and regional
authorities in collecting data will affect on a practical
level what data can be collected nationally and at a
European level (1);

(1) See point 18 of CdR 84/2000 fin.

Brussels, 13 December 2000.

22.
emphasises the importance of the Committee of the
Regions taking part in the annual EU Round Table Conference
on Social Exclusion to be organised in collaboration with the
EU presidency;

23.
calls on the European Council and the European
Parliament to recognise their contribution in ensuring that the
local and regional role is properly recognised in this policy
area (1).

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission to the
Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions entitled Social Policy Agenda’

(2001/C 144/16)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled Social Policy Agenda
(COM(2000) 379 final);

having regard to the decision taken by the Council on 26 July 2000, under the first paragraph of
Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions
on the matter;

having regard to the decision taken by its president, on 3 August 2000, to direct Commission 5 for Social
Policy, Public Health, Consumer Protection, Research and Tourism to draw up the relevant opinion;

having regard to the draft opinion adopted by Commission 5 on 23 October 2000 (rapporteurs: Ms Buron
(F — PSE), Mr Pella (I — PPE) (CdR 300/2000 rev. 1),

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 36th plenary session on 13 and 14 December 2000
(meeting of 13 December).

The Committee of the Regions

1. Warmly welcomes the publication of a new Social
Agenda for the years 2000-2005; appreciates the comprehen-
sive nature of the Agenda drawn up by the Commission,
especially regarding the objectives; highlights the need to set
out the Agenda’s priorities more clearly, as the objectives,
though thoroughly worthy, appear numerous and are often
only sketched out in general terms.

2.
Is glad that as part of the process begun in Lisbon,
recognition has finally been given to the close links between
economic policy, employment policy and social policy and
that social policy has been given its rightful place; stresses,
however, that social policy cannot be limited to its role in the
production process, and urges the Commission, when it
finalises its specific social policy programmes, not to neglect
other areas of social policy in favour of aspects that have more
immediate economic implications.

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3. Welcomes the Commission’s desire to ground the Social
Agenda’s objectives and measures in respect for the principle
of subsidiarity, while stressing that this agenda does not seek
to harmonise the social policies that are the responsibility of
the Member States, but to set common goals and improve
coordination.

7.3. With regard to the development of the services sector
and the social economy, believes that proposals should be
made in accordance with the definitions applied in the various
Member States, and measures taken to facilitate the exchange
of good practice.

4.
Appreciates the Commission’s recognition of the role of
regional and local authorities as major players in implementing
the Agenda; once again emphasises the fact that this requires
the active involvement of these authorities at an earlier stage
in the process of
the
Committee is prepared to play its full role in the open method
of coordination developed in Lisbon, and is disappointed not
to have been involved in preparing the Social Agenda.

framing policies and programmes;

5. Welcomes with interest the Employment and Social
Policy Council’s intention to adopt structural indicators for
employment and social cohesion, to serve as a basis for
synthesis reports to be presented to the European Council
spring meetings decided on at Lisbon; recalls, however, that to
give a true picture of the social and regional cohesion situation
in the European Union, the indicators must be applied to the
appropriate regional level.

6.
Stresses that within the sphere of responsibility of the
Treaty and with respect for subsidiarity, legislation is still an
essential means of protecting the fundamental rights and
quality of life of workers and the public. As regards workers’
relations, the Committee emphasises the importance of social
dialogue between the two sides of industry as the basis of
legislation at European level.

Regarding the various objectives presented by the Com-
mission and its proposals for action

7.

Full employment and quality of work

7.4.
Asks the Commission to consult it and the associations
representing the local and regional authorities when it drafts
the communications on local development planned for
2000 and 2000.

7.5.
Shares the Commission’s desire to give special attention
to innovation and the good practice resulting from the
Community initiatives Equal, Interreg III, Leader + and Urban;
stresses the fact that the local and regional authorities play a
leading part here and that these initiatives may give an insight
into the necessary development of the Structural Funds, and
especially the ESF, after 2006.

7.6.
Highlights the role that local and regional authorities
can play in job creation and improving access to employment,
quality and duration of employment, and working conditions
(see Committee opinions on modernising the organisation of
work, older people, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, etc.);
endorses the Commission’s intention to publish a communi-
cation on the social aspects of the procedures for awarding
public contracts, on which representatives of regional and
local authorities should be consulted at a formative stage.

7.7.
Fully supports the bid to step up the development of
the learning society, and hopes that the principle of life-long
learning, and measures to promote training for old and young
alike, will become reality, on the basis of best practice drawn
from local initiatives in particular.

Emphasises the need to imbue Europeans with knowl-
7.8.
edge of the new technologies, especially the new information
systems, from the youngest possible age; this should be done
in close collaboration with the local and regional authorities,
as they can best ensure that the measures reach everyone,
including the more disadvantaged social groups; the aim
should be to facilitate access not only to employment but also
to culture and to active citizenship, and to ensure their
participation in the democratic process.

7.1.
Agrees with the Commission that the most suitable
ways must be found to exploit and realise Europe’s employ-
ment potential, which, as the Agenda states, is very high.
Recognises, in particular, the need for action to realise the
potential of the socially excluded.

7.9.
Recommends making maximum use of the experience
of border region authorities to ensure worker mobility in all
areas of daily life.

Reasserts the conclusions of its opinion of 21 Septem-
7.2.
ber 2000, on the Communication ‘Acting locally for employ-
ment’.

7.10.
Reiterates the need to guarantee the protection of
workers employed in new forms of employment, and calls on
the Commission to conduct a study of the social consequences
of these forms of work and to suggest appropriate measures.

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8.

Quality of social protection

Refers to its opinion on the modernisation of social

8.1.
protection,

— supporting the four broad objectives endorsed by the
Council (quality of work — security of pension schemes
— social integration — healthcare), and

— stressing the frequent role of the regional and local
authorities in funding and managing a wide range of
social services for the public.

8.2. Warmly welcomes the establishment of a Social Protec-
tion Committee, and once more states its intention to set up a
working group to maintain permanent contact with this
committee.

8.3.
Believes that it is extremely important to mainstream
the objective of social inclusion in all European policies, and
in all relevant COR opinions.

8.4. Welcomes the method proposed in the action pro-
gramme, set out in (COM(2000) 368 final) and approved by
the Employment and Social Policy Council on 17 October
2000, to achieve the objective of social inclusion, through the
translation of European guidelines into national and regional
action plans, setting specific targets and adopting measures
that take into account national and regional differences.

practice and broad consultation, should be extended to other
relevant areas of social protection, such as the fight against
exclusion and all forms of discrimination, and gender equality.

9.

Promoting quality in industrial relations

Points out that the local and regional authorities, themselves
employers, have a role to play in this area.

10.

Preparing for enlargement

Mentions the regular contact it has established with local and
regional authorities in the applicant countries and stresses the
importance of involving them in consultations and action
programmes in the field of employment and social protection,
in order to ensure that the public in these countries are ready
for membership. In particular, calls upon the Commission to
assess and monitor the social situation and the implementation
of the social acquis in applicant countries, while regularly
monitoring the application of instruments under Article 13
and gender equality action programmes.

Conclusion

11.
Reiterates its belief that if Europe is to move closer to
its public and become more democratic and transparent, local
and regional authorities and civil society must be more closely
involved in the design,
implementation and evaluation of
economic, social and employment policies.

8.5.
Having given the Commission’s Communication ‘Act-
ing locally for employment’ a positive response, believes that
the same approach, based on analysis, examples of best

Asks to be involved in the annual spring summit, decided on
in Lisbon, which is to take stock of the coordination of these
policies.

Brussels, 13 December 2000.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT