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Brussels, 07.02.2003
"The Basic Values of the Social Europe Do Not Constitute a Shopping List" Elmar
Brok Demands More Majority Voting
The Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Convention, Elmar Brok MEP (Christian-Democratic Union / Germany), has welcomed the final report of the Working Group on "Social Politics" as a "crucial move in the right direction with potentially far-reaching consequences". At a plenary session of the Convention, he stressed the importance of the dimension of a "Social Europe": European unification, he contended, would have to go beyond the creation of an internal market and a level playing field for competitive forces. Cross-border commerce required cross-border social issues to be solved, Mr Brok said, which was why economic and social policies should be understood as two sides of the same coin, both being concerned with the generation of economic growth and employment. Mr Brok also demanded a constitution which was capable of providing the EU with enough manoeuvring space to act decisively in these areas without being weighed down with too many details. Brok stressed the importance of the basic social targets and objectives which are listed in the text: "This selection has been made from a perspective of constitutional law. It should not be misinterpreted as a shopping list from which one can pick certain items according to his or her own preference." With a view to the regulations in question, the Christian Democrat emphasized the relevance of the "Social Market Economy" which managed to combine and integrate the principles of personal responsibility, solidarity, social protection and justice. This would also imply the necessity of ensuring that every citizen continues to have access to the important public services without eroding or questioning the principle of competition in a market economy. Brok denied that a stronger political emphasis on the basic social rights would necessarily require the corresponding powers of the European Union to be extended. "Instead, we need to enable the EU to act effectively in those areas where it already has such powers", the EPP politician reasoned in defence of his demand for the introduction of qualified majority voting in general. Social security systems, Brok conceded, would have to remain exempt from this principle: in these areas, the EU should only intervene where cross-border problems were involved. With a view to demands for a stronger role of the European Parliament, Brok challenged the proposals for a constitutional clause devoted to the method of open coordination. This, he said, would create the danger that - for instance - 'judge-made law' might turn this into a new legislative category at the EU Parliament. "The EU, after all, is free to use this instrument without any corresponding clause in the forthcoming treaty", Brok concluded.
The
European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) consists of 23
workers' organisations from 15 countries and is an association of the
European People's Party (EPP).
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