Brussels, 20/12/2013
The June 2012 growth pact will not relaunch growth and employment. After 18 months in operation, unemployment remains at over 12%, and youth unemployment is rocketing as high as 60% in some member states. The EIB's lending capacity should be multiplied by 4 and invested in European projects for sustainable development, particularly in countries in difficulty. There must be democratic control over the attribution and use of these funds.
The ETUC reiterates its view that contractual arrangements between the EU and individual countries must be democratically requested by Member States and not conditioned by a narrow implementation of labour market reforms; the ETUC unambiguously rejects Troïka-type contracts imposed on individual countries.
ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol said: "The EU Council continues to spin its usual rhetoric; the truth is that it has not delivered on the social dimension, nor has it delivered on investments for sustainable growth and quality jobs. ETUC demands more action and less spin - ETUC demands a New Path for Europe".
