WRITTEN QUESTION E-1043/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Commission strategy to encourage the mobility of EU workers in view of development and job-creation policies in the less-favoured areas.
Date: 2001-04-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU regional policy, free movement of workers, labour shortage, less-favoured region, new technology, rural migration

C 340 E/154

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

(2001/C 340 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1042/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Bombing of Iraqi territory by US and United Kingdom planes

Does the Council consider the United Kingdom(cid:146)s recent participation in the bombing of Iraqi territory,
to be compatible with
supporting the United States without
membership of the European Union?

the Union(cid:146)s knowledge or agreement,

Reply

(16 July 2001)

The Council refers the Honourable Member to its answer to Question E-0699/01.

(2001/C 340 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1043/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Commission strategy to encourage the mobility of EU workers in view of development and job-

creation policies in the less-favoured areas

On the eve of the European Council meeting in Stockholm, Commission sources have said that labour
mobility needs to be encouraged within the European Union in view of the shortage of workers in the new
technology sectors, where the shortfall is currently put at 800 000 people and may reach 1,5 million in
the coming years, according to the Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner, Anna Diamantopoulou.

Does the Commission not believe that seeking to resolve this problem simply through workers(cid:146) mobility
rather than by promoting economic development and job creation in the less-favoured regions, which
produce workers with a high level of technological training, would encourage undesirable migration to
large urban areas, away from the remainder of European territory, which runs counter to the European
Union(cid:146)s stated regional and employment policy in favour of regions with the lowest per capita income?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 June 2001)

The purpose of the Commission(cid:146)s strategy in facing up to the new European labour markets, as announced
in its Communication of 28 February 2001 to the Council (cid:145)New European labour markets, open to all,
with access for all(cid:146) (1), and as presented to the Stockholm European Council, is to recognise the changes
taking place on the European labour markets and to be proactive in supporting the development of skills
and potential for geographic mobility. Skills shortages or bottlenecks in some sectors, and in particular in
the Information and Communication technology (ICT) field, call for a long term strategy to develop the
right human resources, but they can also be alleviated in the shorter term by an active mobility policy. The
principle of free movement of workers is one of the basic rights enshrined in the EC treaty, but in practice
several obstacles still prevent workers from exercising this right, and thus employers from recruiting from
a wider European pool of labour.
In order to prepare the groundwork for the Action Plan it has
announced to make the European labour markets open to all and accessible for all by 2005, the
Commission is setting up a High Level Task Force on Skills and Mobility which will report back by the end
of this year.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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The Stockholm European Council agreed that the modernisation of labour markets and labour mobility
needed to be encouraged to allow greater adaptability to change by breaking down existing barriers. To
that end it agreed that the proposal for a Recommendation of the Parliament and of the Council on
mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, young volunteers, teachers and
trainers (2) should be adopted by June 2001, and that Member States should implement in parallel the
mobility action plan (agreed at the Nice European Council). It also agreed that the Commission would
work with national and local governments, employment services and other relevant actors, to assess before
the end of 2001 the feasibility of establishing a one-stop European mobility information site, in particular
by providing employment services with a Europe-wide database on jobs, curricula vitae and learning
opportunities. This commitment on developing a jobs and learning database (to be interconnected at
European level) reiterates the European Council(cid:146)s expectations in this regard expressed at Lisbon in March
2000, and which is already included in the Employment Guidelines for 2001 (3).

The development of the new labour markets, and the increased opportunities for workers to exercise their
right to freedom of movement, must be seen as complementary to the efforts being made to support local
economies and the creation of
job opportunities in the less developed regions. The Community(cid:146)s
commitment in this direction is self-evident through the various Structural Funds, in particular for regional
development, agricultural reform, employment and training, and infrastructure. Job opportunities are being
created in regions which not only help the employment of local residents, but which may attract workers
from other regions or Member States.
in border regions, where employment pools are
complementary, the reduction of obstacles to mobility will contribute to local development via increasing
numbers of commuter workers.

In addition,

(1) COM(2001) 116 final.
(2) COM(1999) 708 final.
(3) Council Decision 2001/63/EC of 19 January 2001 (cid:129) OJ L 22, 24.1.2001.

(2001/C 340 E/174)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1046/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Galicia(cid:146)s integration in the trans-European transport networks by means of high-speed rail services

The Spanish central government, in agreement with the regional government of Galicia, which are both in
the hands of the same political force, has submitted an access plan for high-speed trains to Galicia covering
the period 2001-2007. However, the information available shows that the plan is not based on the
approach required for trans-European high-speed rail networks, either in its general guidelines or in the
technical solutions chosen. As well as failing to guarantee implementation in the period 2000-2007, the
central government(cid:146)s plan does not envisage the electrification of Galicia(cid:146)s entire internal network, does not
upgrade the main Atlantic line between Ferrol and Vigo or the Vigo-Oporto section linking Galicia to the
Oporto-Lisbon mainline to a double track, and also makes no provision for a double track on the sections
linking Santiago and Orense, Orense and Puebla de Sanabria and Monforte and Ponferrada. The project is
designed more as a link between Galicia and Madrid, in the centre of the peninsula, than as a link between
Galicia and the north of the peninsula, Portugal and the centre of Europe, which is what Galician society
and the Galician economy need and would reflect the thinking behind the TETNs. Moreover, the state
budget estimates for the 2000-2004 term do not include any appropriations earmarked for this plan.

Is the Commission aware of these discriminatory projects? Will the Commission demand that the Spanish
government use European funds in accordance with the European Union(cid:146)s objectives of regional balance
and social cohesion, thus promoting Galicia(cid:146)s integration in the trans-European high-speed rail networks in
the period 2000-2007?