---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 18:29:58 +0100 GMT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: FORUM OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS FOR THE SUMMI Resent-Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 18:30:10 GMT Resent-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Resent-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 20Nov97 EU: EU/EMPLOYMENT - SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. PERMANENT FORUM OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS FOR THE SUMMIT TO LAUNCH A STRATEGY TO FIGHT AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY AND EXCLUSION - FOR MACRO-ECONOMIC DECISIONS BY MAJORITY, IN CODECISION WITH THE EP. Luxembourg, 19/11/1997 (Agence Europe) - At its meetingt on Wednesday in Luxembourg, the Permanent Forum of the Civil Society, which groups about one hundred non-governmental organisations and citizens' associations, adopted a "Political Declaration" in which it recalls that "thousands of trade unionists, unemployment, poor and excluded persons demonstrated in the streets of Amsterdam" (on the fringe of the European Council last June) and that they will also be present in Luxembourg on the occasion of the extraordinary Jobs Summit. For the Forum, this is the "proof that the citizens will not join in the European project until there is a clear and positive answer to the evils gnawing at our societies". Noting the inclusion of the "employment" chapter in the Amsterdam Treaty (despite is failings), the Forum states it is waiting for the Heads of State and Government to have the "courage and political determination to implement, >from now on, a strategy for fighting unemployment, poverty and social exclusion" at European and national level, and it calls for the following commitments to be made: - the establishment of an EU political government "able to democratically define, thanks to decisions taken by qualified majority" with the Council and in codecision with the EP, "a macro-economic policy that will create lasting jobs for all". This policy must be pursued with the "same rigour as that shown for introducing the single currency" and be based on: a) systematic examination of EU policies, mainly economic and budgetary policies, with regard to their impact on sustainable human development; b) the harmonisation of Member State tax policies, in order to avoid tax dumping; c) the obligation made to the future European Central Bank to support the EU in achieving all its policies, including those allowing for the fight against unemployment, poverty and social exclusion; - Structural reform of the labour market in full respect of the fundamental rights of the individual, banning all form of discrimination, in particular towards women, which must be achieved by: i) insertion and qualification channels that meet the needs and expectations of the most disadvantaged in order to all allow to the labour market for all; ii) the inclusion of "social clauses" in calls for tenders for public contracts; iii) the creation of true statutes for jobs related to activities in the field of social economy; iv) significant reduction of working hours; v) the establishment of the right to minimum resources. - The implementation of a critical analysis of national measures taken to promote employment, in order to define the effects of the opportunities, substitution and eviction caused by such measures, which makes it 'urgent to have statistics that reflect the real situation of the Union countries in terms of employment, poverty and quality of life". The European Commission must "integrate all such data in its annual report on employment and the Council must draw the necessary conclusions". Not Available for Re-dissemination. (c) Agence EUROPE, Brussels 1997. EUROPEAN UNION AGENCE EUROPE 20/11/97
