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The ETUI-REHS’ Managing Director, Marc Sapir, put the European Trade Union Confederation’s (ETUC) view on the European Commission’s Communication “Better Regulation for Growth and Jobs” to the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee on 15 September.
In his address, Marc Sapir stressed the ETUC’s aim to be a constructive actor in the process of improving legislation set going by the Commission. He spelled out what European trade unions understand by “better regulation”. The ETUC’s view is that it must increase the benefits to Europe’s citizens.
“The ETUC will not support any new attempt to dismantle the existing social legislation adopted by the European Union; nor will it be part of a process which sets out to promote a deregulation of labour law”, he cautioned.
“A mismatch between the free market and common rules will alter the trade union attitude towards the single market”, he added. And he went on to point out that from the 1980s, the ETUC’s support for the single market has been tied to the adoption of policies and instruments implementing the principles of the Social Charter.
Disappointed by the turn taken in the draft directive to protect workers against solar radiation, the ETUC is demanding that any initiative aimed at scrapping instruments covered by the Social Chapter of the Treaty should be discussed in advance with the social partners acting as co-regulators, and that the Council and the Parliament should also be involved as co-legislator.
Turning to the impact assessment of European legislation, Marc Sapir called for more consultation of the trade unions. Economic and technical data cannot be based on information provided exclusively by business, and a bigger focus must be put on the non-economic benefits of directives.
“A ‘better regulation’ exercise must ensure more democracy and not the creation of new technocratic smokescreens!”, said the trade union spokesman.
The Commission will be spelling out its plans for its simplification exercise of European legislation in a Communication, which should be adopted in October 2005.
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