Adopted at the Executive Committee 11-12 March 2014
Europe 2020 not yet fit for purpose
In the very beginning, the Europe 2020 strategy, like its predecessor the Lisbon Strategy, relied on instruments which were not efficient, in particular, the open method of coordination. Then economic governance structures were established to better coordinate economic policies, and Europe 2020 had to fit into this new governance architecture, which was not conceived to help it reach Europe 2020 (namely employment or social) objectives.
Resolution adopted by the ETUC Executive Committee at its meeting on 11-12 March 2014
On 29 September 2010, Spain’s main unions the CCOO and UGT (Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores) called for a general strike to express their opposition to the policies implemented by the national government regarding labour issues, which represented a sharp decline in the rights of workers.
The right to strike is a fundamental right enshrined in the Spanish Constitution, which must be protected especially when exercised.
Brussels, 03-04/12/2013
- The dramatic events in Lampedusa provoked a wave of indignation throughout Europe and worldwide. It is one of the recurrent tragedies involving migrants on the border of Europe, notably in the Mediterranean Sea.
- The Southern routes of migration will be fed by wars and persecutions and natural events hitting the population in Africa and in the Middle East. The political instability of such areas reduces margins of cooperation with origin/transit countries.
Adopted at the meeting of the Executive Committee on 3-4 December 2013
With the publication of REFIT (Regulatory Fitness and Performance: Results and Next Steps) on 2 October 2013, the Commission took yet another step in a process aimed at the deregulation of Europe, the dismantling of legislation protecting workers’ rights and the weakening of social dialogue.
Brussels, 22-23/10/2013
The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, declared the shutdown of ERT a threat to “freedom and pluralism in the media”. The public media as an independent voice is a pillar of western democratic systems and has the permanent role of monitoring and supervision of the other powers. Never before has such a case of the quasi elimination of the media happened in democratic systems. This case once again shows that economic democracy and democracy in the workplace in particular need to be strengthened.
Brussels, 22-23/10/2013
Key messages
• Europe’s major challenge is to transform what could be the end of a recession into a robust process of self-sustained growth, with mutually strengthening investment, demand and job creation adding to growth dynamics
• To achieve this, the strategy of austerity and structural deregulation needs major change
Brussels, 23/10/2013
• The EU economic governance introduced unwanted interventions on collective bargaining and wage setting mechanisms, particularly through the CSRs.
• In this context a new method of internal and autonomous coordination is needed to prevent and/or counter such interventions, by involving the ETUC affiliates in a multi-level exercise (EU, national, sectoral), fully respecting the autonomy of social partners at the appropriate levels.
Brussels, 05-06/03/2013
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European migration policy is being deployed in a new institutional environment in which the European Parliament can intervene as co-legislator. It has opened doors to the greater involvement of civil society in a consultative role, from which the ETUC has benefitted as well.
