ETUC welcomes the report by Anne Van Lancker MEP on the Services Directive, the ’Bolkestein Directive’
"The European Trade Union Confederation warmly welcomes Anne Van Lancker’s report on the Services Directive, the Bolkestein Directive," declared ETUC General Secretary John Monks. "If adopted in its essence, the European Parliament would give a clear signal that it will never accept social dumping." Anne Van Lancker MEP presented her report to the press on 10 May 2005.
The ETUC is pleased that Ms Van Lancker excludes industrial relations, employment and labour law as well as services of general interest from the scope of the directive as requested by ETUC. She proposes to delete the “country of origin” principle to make the directive watertight against social dumping.
The ETUC is satisfied that Ms Van Lancker organised broad consultation through a big public hearing, and that she takes up most of the ETUC demands expressed at that hearing.
For Europe’s trade unions, it is important to keep a strong social dimension in the internal market. If this social dimension is eroded, they will no longer be able to support the project. The ETUC and its affiliates are very worried about the initial Bolkestein proposal: 75 000 people, from both the new and the old Member States, demonstrated against it on 19 March.
There are some unconditional supporters of the initial Bolkestein draft who continue to stress the importance of the country of origin principle and the need for a broad scope. Therefore, the ETUC has to keep up its pressure, as the battle is not yet won. The ETUC asks MEPs to support Anne Van Lancker’s report, to take a strong stand on this important matter - and to give a clear message in favour of Social Europe vis-à-vis the old Commission and some Member States in the Council.
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