WRITTEN QUESTION E-1256/02 by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Council. Minimum wage within the EU.
Date: 2002-05-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, European social policy, employment statistics, minimum pay, pay policy, poverty, social integration

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/103

(2002/C 309 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1256/02

by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Council

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Minimum wage within the EU

Two of the requirements of the European Social Model and the Lisbon Process are a cohesion framework
and minimum income thresholds to combat poverty and promote social inclusion. However, recent data
on minimum wages in various EU countries make it quite obvious that some workers are legally
condemned to poverty.

Will the Council provide up-to-date figures concerning minimum wages in the EU Member States? Should
any workers be on the poverty threshold, is any action to be taken in order to improve their situation?

Reply

(3 October 2002)

The question put by the Honourable Member highlights the importance of the new approach taken by the
Council and the Commission in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. This approach is usually
referred to as the Open Method of Coordination, as defined by the Presidency Conclusions of the Lisbon
European Council
in March 2000. The co-ordination of these activities takes place within the Social
Protection Committee, which the Council decided to establish in June 2000.

In this context, the Member States drew up their first National Action Plans for the fight against poverty
and social exclusion in June 2001, and on the basis of these, the Council and the Commission submitted a
Joint Report on Social Inclusion to the Laeken European Council in December 2001. Preparations for a
second round of these national action plans are already under way.

Any measures aimed at improving the situation of those in poverty or facing the risk thereof are to be
taken by the Member States concerned, taking into account, where appropriate, experience and best
practice in the different Member States.

As far as wages and wage levels are concerned, the Council wishes to remind the Honourable Member of
the fact that questions concerning pay are explicitly excluded from Community competence (Article 137(6)
TEC). The Council is not itself in possession of any statistics on wages, including minimum wages, these
being collated by Eurostat. The Council would also like to point out that, whilst minimum wages are laid
down in some Member States by law, in some, but not all, others, minimum wage levels are the subject of
collective agreements at various levels between management and labour.

(2002/C 309 E/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1263/02

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(24 April 2002)

Subject: Coup d’état in Venezuela and the Spanish Presidency’s announcement

Last week in Venezuela, a coup d’état was perpetrated against the democratically elected president of the
country, Hugo Chaves. Although the president was deposed for only 48 hours, the Spanish Presidency
hastened to announce recognition of the unconstitutional government.

Since, in accordance with Article 11 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Union defines and implements a
common foreign policy in a spirit of loyalty and solidarity, the objective of which is to develop and
consolidate democracy and the rule of law, will the Council say whether the Spanish Presidency was also
acting on behalf of the other 14 Member States?