WRITTEN QUESTION E-2683/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Creation of new jobs in Greece.
Date: 2003-09-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, employment policy, employment statistics, labour market, older worker, unemployment, woman

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(2004/C 58 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2682/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Supply teachers and Directive 1999/70/EC

Every year, in Greek primary and secondary schools, there are vacant posts for teachers. Every year, these
perennially vacant posts are filled by supply teachers or teachers paid by the hour, so that the shortage of
teachers does not create problems in schools. The result of this situation is that the same teachers very
often work at the same school on fixed-term contracts of one school year, are released and then re-
recruited at the beginning of the next year. This creates a gap of two months between two successive
contracts, the same period as the holidays of ‘comparable workers’ within the meaning of Directive 1999/
70/EC (1), i.e. regular teachers. This period is longer than that for which provision is made in Presidential
Decree 81/2003, which transposes Directive 1999/70/EC into Greek law, and as a result these supply
teachers are excluded from the directive’s application.

In view of the Commission’s reply to my question E-0360/02 (2), stating that the provisions of the above-
mentioned directive may be applied to supply teachers on fixed-term contracts and in view of Article 3 of
the directive, can the Commission say how the directive will be applied to supply teachers?

(1) OJ L 175, 10.7.1999, p. 43.
(2) OJ C 160 E, 4.7.2002, p. 213.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2003)

According to Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on
fixed-term work concluded by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Union of Industrial
and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and the Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation
(CEEP), it is the Member States themselves who, after consultation with the social partners, determine
under what conditions fixed-term contracts shall be regarded as ‘successive’ (clause 5.2).

However, it must be borne in mind that one of the purposes of the Directive is to prevent abuse arising
from the use of successive fixed-term contracts. If a Member State determines a definition of successive
the Directive, such a
fixed-term contracts which in practice undermines the protective purpose of
definition would not be compatible with Community law.

(2004/C 58 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2683/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Creation of new jobs in Greece

The Council’s recommendation (1) on the implementation of Member States’ employment policies for
Greece includes the statement that ‘Greece’s overall employment rate is considerably below the targets set
by the European Council, in particular for women … Unemployment fell for a third consecutive year in
2002 but is still above the EU average, with the unemployment rate for women attaining more than
double the rates of men.’

How many jobs have been created in Greece since 1998, broken down by gender and category of

1.
employment?

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How many of the jobs created are full-time? How many are part-time? How many are fixed-term

2.
contracts? How many are based on local employment agreements?

3.

In which sectors have they been created?

(1) COM(2003) 177.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2003)

With reference to the question raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission believes that Greece is
progressively improving its economic and labour market position towards the Union’s average but still
suffers from relatively low employment and high unemployment. The latest labour market figures show
some progress, mainly in the face of a continuing decline of the unemployment rate, combined for the first
time in recent years with a raise of employment (due to increased entry of women and immigrants into
employment).

it

is evident

that raising the employment rates towards meeting the Lisbon targets (overall
Yet,
employment rate to 70 %, more than 60 % for women and 50 % for older workers, by 2010) is a major
challenge for Greece given the low employment growth rates. It would require far reaching labour market
reforms to mobilise currently inactive persons (mostly women and working age older people).

Available data according to Labour Force Survey (LFS), the situation in Greece is the following:

(cid:1) Employment growth has been very modest during the last few years. During the last five years, the
rate in Greece increased from 55,3 % in 1999 to 56,7 % in 2002 comparing

employment
unfavourably with the European average of 64,3 %.

(cid:1) Recent LFS data, reveal some encouraging signs. Measured on a year-to-year basis, total employment
recorded a clear increase during the third quarter of 2002 in relation to the third quarter of 2001
(1,3 %). This is the highest increase in employment recorded since 1998. In absolute terms, this
change corresponds to 114 000 persons. As concerns working groups, wage earners, self-employed
and particularly family workers, have all contributed to this positive development.

(cid:1) From the year 1998 to 2001, the overall employment balance is shifting slightly in favour of women,
with their percentage in employment increasing by 0,7 %, compared with a decline of 0,8 % for men.
The trend for women to enter the labour market more rapidly is also confirmed by another aspect of
the LFS which shows that during the second quarter of 2001 some 49,592 women wanted to enter
the labour market and one third of these found employment, while the other two thirds were
registered as unemployed.

(cid:1) In reply to the second question, the LFS data show also that most of the new jobs created were full-
time jobs. The full time equivalent employment rate increased from 55,1 % in 1999 to 56,3 % in
2002. This applies not only in the manufacturing sector, but also in the services sector, where 91 % of
the new jobs in 1999 were for full-time skilled workers.

(cid:1) Although part-time employment remains at low levels, it has risen from 3,9 % in the third quarter of
2001 to 4,5 % in the third quarter of 2002. The Commission considers that promoting flexible forms
of employment, mainly part-time work, constitutes an essential step for raising the employment rates
and would welcome any actions encouraging part-time employment, whether they are directed to the
public or private sector. Moreover, employment in fixed-term contracts to total employment has
slightly decreased from 12,1 % in 1998 to 11,2 % in 2002.

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(cid:1) Finally, regarding the third question, the greatest source of new job creation has been the services
sector, as is the case for all Member States. According to LFS, the employment growth in the service
sector was 5,4 % in 1998, 0,5 % in 1999, 1,1 % in 2000, 0,5 % in 2001 and 1 % in 2002, explaining
the increase of the share of employment from 57,7 % in 1998 to 60 % in 2002.

(cid:1) A more detailed examination of sectoral employment developments, shows that

the current
employment gains are fuelled by a revival of agricultural employment, by strong gains in construction
activity (associated with the preparation of the infrastructure of the 2004 Olympic Games) and by
rapid growth in business services and real estate sector.

(2004/C 58 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2686/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Collection of statistical data

It has been established that the Greek administration does not forward on time to the European Statistical
Service (Eurostat) the statistical data which it is obliged to send under several directives, for example those
relating to tourism, the environment and employment. Can the Commission provide a list of the directives
requiring specific data to be sent to the competent European Union departments for which Greece either
does not send the data, does so after the deadline or does so using data collection methods which
incompatible with the collection methods laid down by the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2003)

It should be stated that Greece meets the vast majority of its Community statistical obligations, and fails to
comply with only a few provisions from among over 260 legal instruments.

It is nevertheless true that progress still has to be made in certain areas, particularly when it comes to
meeting transmission deadlines. A summary table of areas in which the level of conformity with
Community statistical obligations may be open to criticism has been sent directly to the Honourable
Member and Parliament’s Secretariat. The Commission is considering what action should be taken to
remedy this situation in accordance with the established procedures, and is in contact with the Greek
authorities.

(2004/C 58 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2698/03

by Ingo Schmitt (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 September 2003)

Subject: Policy on disabled persons (cid:1) allocation of funding

1. What type and what amount of funding are available overall for the general area of policy on
disabled persons?

2. What type and what amount of funding are available overall for the area of policy on disabled
persons in connection with the European Year of People with Disabilities?

3. What amount of the funding provided under paragraphs 1 and 2 was available and/or is still
available for the Federal Republic of Germany and/or its federal states, and subject to what conditions?