Berlin, 16/03/2007
The ETUC took the initiative to set up the Euromed Trade Union Forum in order to develop and to harmonize trade union policies in the context of the Barcelona process.
It is clear to everybody that Barcelona is not a success story. One of the reasons for some failures is that the policies conducted focussed mainly on trade, market and economic reform and security. Social aspects especially, but also employment effects of the structural reforms had been neglected.
The European Neighbourhood Policy is welcomed but in addition to the already existing problems, it is reducing the approach to bilateralism, weakening the regional cooperation dimension.
For all these reasons, the Euromed Trade Union Forum constantly tried to expand the agenda of the policy makers in the North and the South and to bring social and employment issues and the need for more and better social dialogue to the forefront of the issues to be discussed.
Therefore we welcomed that the German government took the initiative to promote this first attempt to widen the agenda. But even the architecture of this event - which has the merit of being the first one ever - demonstrates that there is still too much to be done. For instance, we would like to have seen more representatives of the social partners on the list of speakers of this conference.
Up to now and in relation to the Barcelona process, neither the EU nor the governments in the South have really taken the European or the national social partners into consideration. We are not part of the process. So nobody should complain about the fact that the Barcelona process considerably lacks of visibility. I have to say that I feel more confident after listening to the debates in the course of today's event. But now we will have to see results and we will be waiting for the delivery in terms of a better association of the social partners at all levels.
In the European Union, Social Dialogue is part of the European integration process. It is not an option: social partners are co-regulators in the social policy field. But there is also the autonomous role of the social partners that needs to be taken into consideration. And this autonomous relation consists above all in the setting of (industrial) relations between employers and trade unions. To support this dimension by assisting workers and employers organisations in capacity building should be a priority on the agenda: constructive and able social partners are those who represent independent, autonomous and representative social partners' organisations.
Public authorities have the responsibility of creating the necessary institutional framework conditions for that to happen.
The Euromed Trade Union Forum is working on the promotion of social dialogue, amongst other issues, in the framework of a medium term project financed by the European Commission and the ETUC, covering five countries in the Maghreb and Mashreq. We are also tackling the promotion of equal opportunities and the role of women in the labour market and in society at large.
I would like to make one aspect clear: we do not believe in the transfer of models.
We have to recognize that existence of specific conditions in each country, different political, economic and cultural environments. So it is also in Europe. We do not want a “top down” operation where Europeans are teaching others how to act. We want to cooperate, to exchange experiences in order to mobilise better the capacities and competences existing in the Southern region on an equal footing.
Trade unions from the EU and the Southern Mediterranean represented in the Forum are interested in positive developments in their respective societies, in the promotion of quality and decent work, in a better division of the fruits of the economy, education and lifelong learning, the integration of young people in the labour market, in social partnership as a key instrument to contribute to the promotion of acceptable reforms and democratisation of the societies. This is a prerequisite for successful economies and societies that are cohesive and sustainable.
Finally, we welcome the fact that the Mediterranean Employers Association, UMCE, is present at this conference. We invite them to enter into cooperation with the Euromed Trade Union Forum to see together how to improve the position of the social partners in the process.
The fact that this conference is organised by a government from the North is encouraging. It may help to convince others that are not yet actively involved in the Euromed cooperation that they should become much more involved. It is in our shared interest, for the harmonious development of both the North and the Southern regions, to transform this into the common affair of the whole EU!
We sincerely hope that this German initiative will be continued by the upcoming EU presidencies and that social and labour market as well as migration is also part of the future discussions.
It would represent one step forward in the right direction if the social partners would be fully associated to the preparation of any follow-up events.
Thank you very much for your attention.