Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-07-10-Speech-2-281"
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"Mr President, honourable Members, it came as no surprise that the debate on labour law was far-reaching and profound, and often quite heated. That is natural because the issue of labour law is one of the most sensitive and lies at the very heart of the European social model. I am very pleased that the Green Paper formed the basis for this exceptionally thorough discussion. There were more than 450 different opinions, which far exceeds the normal amount when it comes to a public consultation on a Green Paper. It is also clear that the Green Paper does not purport to resolve the issue of labour law, but rather raises questions. The Commission will be assessing these questions and will subsequently issue responses.
I feel that the debate in this Chamber demonstrates that there are good prospects for consensus on some of the key elements. I should like to refer to some of those that I feel are particularly important. The first of these is the need for meaningful dialogue. Regardless of the fact that the level of social dialogue in some Member States is very low, I believe that this is a fundamental component. This is above all why we provide direct support for social dialogue within the framework of the European social fund, especially through the creation of administrative capacity for the social partners.
The second concern that should be highlighted is that labour law does not exist in a vacuum and that any debate on the subject will always be sensitive and will always impact on the social partners. I also think that the future development of labour law requires avoiding any measures that would lead to the disintegration of the labour market, increased employment insecurity or any reduction in workers’ fundamental rights.
It appears that the situation of workers who are formally self-employed but economically dependent on one main consumer or employer who is the source of their income must be resolved. Labour law must be proactively enforced in order to protect and support high-quality jobs and to combat undeclared work.
Honourable Members, some questions have arisen that are outside the main thrust of the debate, and which will probably not be answered even in the vote, so I should like to touch upon them. Let me stress that social protection is a precondition for full employment, rather a consequence thereof. Labour markets with very weak labour protection – as in developing countries, for example – do not provide sufficiently effective job creation. I should also like to emphasise that there is already a directive on the posting of workers, and we shall in due course be debating a number of interpretations of it. For this reason a certain standard already exists, even though one can easily imagine a different course of development.
The issue of employment agencies was also raised. I should like to point out that the Portuguese Presidency has more or less incorporated this issue into its programme and in the context of the Presidency we will be trying to make some much-needed progress. The description of the market development of employment agencies outlined by the honourable Member was, in my view, a very precise one. The dynamic of this market is clear, in common with some phenomena that can certainly be viewed as indicators of possible social dumping.
Honourable Members, the labour market is changing markedly and it is extremely important for us to find some general answers at EU level and more importantly in the Member States, which are in a position to enforce labour law, and which are capable of, on the one hand, supporting our overall capacity, effectiveness, competitiveness and strength as a society, and, on the other, guaranteeing appropriate security for workers in the 21st century. This is no easy task, but the debate has convinced me that your report does have a chance of being adopted, and I therefore await the final outcome with interest."@en1
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