The ETUC recognises that the UK takes over the Presidency at a difficult time for the EU, following the breakdown of talks on the future budget and rejection of the Constitution in the French and Dutch referendums.

“The ETUC hopes that real energy and creativity will be deployed to help Europe face the future with more confidence and in a better atmosphere than has prevailed recently,” said John Monks.

The Memorandum welcomes the British determination to make tackling unemployment a prime objective, and supports constructive attempts to improve European regulation.

However, it notes that the British government is often seen as an opponent of Social Europe, and has taken a leading role in blocking important European social legislation.

The ETUC therefore calls on the UK Presidency to launch a wide-ranging debate on the European social model, and in particular to:

  Push ahead with revision of the Working Time Directive, to end the individual ‘opt-out’ provision;
  Look for a compromise to unblock the draft directive on temporary agency workers;
  Redraft the Services Directive to remove the unbalanced emphasis on the country of origin principle;
  Move forward on important issues like the REACH chemicals regulation and gender equality in all areas of policy-making.

The ETUC asks for urgent action to respond concretely to the demands of working people, with the aim of continued support for the European project and enlargement.

ETUC Memorandum to the UK Presidency