President Prodi's Speech at the Tripartite Social Summit

Opening remarks

• I am very happy to have this opportunity to meet with the European Social Partners. Times like these are a clear illustration of how the European Social Model operates on the basis of mutual confidence and a partnership approach.
  
  
• Confidence and partnership are essential for effectively meeting the many challenges facing Europe. Among the most important of these are rapid globalisation, an ageing population, increasingly strong international competition and the prospect of imminent enlargement.
  
  
• In this context, the EU economy urgently needs new impetus to attain the strategic objectives set at Lisbon. And we have the means to achieve this whilst respecting the Stability Pact.
  
  
• This is why I have proposed the European Growth Initiative. Through the Initiative, the Commission is seeking to boost investment in infrastructure and knowledge Europe-wide.
  
  
• But the Initiative does not replace other policies, in particular structural reforms of the markets for services, goods and labour, and the need to develop our human resources.
  
  
• As the Employment Task Force Report makes clear, the ultimate objective of reforms must be to boost both employment and productivity levels -- in other words to increase Europe's economic growth potential.
  
  
• The Report comes at a particularly suitable time to discuss the topic, and I want to thank Mr Kok for being with us today.
  
  
• The Task Force has made an in-depth and convincing contribution to tackling one of the toughest challenges Europe needs to address: how to boost employment and labour productivity, and how to combat unemployment.
  
  
• The Report clearly shows that reforms are both possible and necessary, and that they must be introduced urgently to support the economic upturn. It recognises the progress made in reforming labour markets since the mid-1990s. But it also stresses that progress has been uneven and many gaps remain to be filled if the EU is to achieve the Lisbon employment objectives by 2010.
  
  
• The four areas for action identified by the Employment Task Force are fully consistent with and reflect the scope of the new European Employment Guidelines adopted this year. And the Report emphasises the need to build new interactions between flexibility and security on the labour market.
  
  
• This calls for better dissemination of innovation, more stress on R&D, making work pay, developing active strategies for dealing with an ageing population, stepping up preventive and active labour-market policies and investing more and more effectively in human capital, and lastly, more affordable and accessible childcare.
  
  
• In all these areas, the Social Partners have a key role to play, and the ability of governments to build up "reform partnerships", as the Report puts it, will be crucial for the success of these policies.
  
  
• The Social Partners at European level have already demonstrated that they can make an effective contribution in the areas for action identified by the Employment Task Force. I am thinking in particular of training, with their Joint Framework of Actions for the Lifelong Development of Competencies and Qualifications, and the implementation of the many measures planned under their Joint Multi-Annual Work Programme for 2003-05.
  
  
• The European model for economic and social development depends on the full involvement of all actors rather than on solutions imposed from above. Your mobilisation alongside us is the key to achieving the necessary conditions for a successful outcome.

• The Employment Task Force Report confirms that the focus must now be on stronger implementation of labour-market reforms in the context of the Employment Strategy and closer monitoring at both national and EU level.
  
  
• I believe the Report we have discussed today will help to stimulate action throughout Europe, including the new Member States, which need to make suitable efforts.
  
  
• We must make one important point clear: the Report should not give rise to a separate or parallel process alongside standard procedures applying. Instead, the Commission intends to use the Report in preparing the draft Joint Employment Report and the Spring Report it will present to the Council in January 2004.
  
  
• The Report will also be valuable when it comes to preparing the country-specific employment recommendations that the Commission will be putting forward in April next year.
  
  
• I trust these recommendations will be followed up quickly at national level so we can get back on the path towards full employment and higher productivity. The next Social Summit will also allow us to monitor progress ahead of the Spring European Council.
  
  
• I have taken note of the Social Partners' willingness to work to achieve higher economic growth and full employment, particularly through the measures planned in your Joint Multi-Annual Work Programme. In March I look forward to receiving the two reports you have announced on employment and lifelong learning.
  
  
• More generally, with enlargement I look forward to a more dynamic Europe. I am convinced that Europe has all it takes for growth and success.
  
  
• The key to realising Europe's full potential lies in investing in the quality and sustainability of our own resources.

| Top |