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INFO N° 11
22.02.2001

Dear Friends,

The XIV congress of the EPP in Berlin clearly chose the path of a European union of values. On this basis, the EPP wants to be a party of values able to deal with new social demands such as the change in the age pyramid, the new information society and the increased participation of citizens in decision making. The many varying member parties from all over Europe, each with a different political context, worked together on actualising the principles of our party. In this connection, the programme of Athens (1992) not only shows the starting point, it was also re-confirmed.

The EPP congress explicitly supports the values of the social market economy: freedom in responsibility and in solidarity. The fight against poverty must be continued as well as against the fight against negative consequences, which the ageing of our society can bring with it. A strong, fully developed social security remains essential here.

This confirms a policy, which the EUCDW has been demanding for 25 years. As a workers' association, we are pleased to have contributed to the orientation of a European People's Party.

Luc Delanghe

The XIV Congress of the European People's Party:
Reinforcement of the basic values

The congress of the European People's Party (EPP) took place in Berlin from 11th - 13th January 2001. This congress set the course for the EPP concerning the progress of the European unification process and is thus an outstanding congress in the history of the EPP.

The EUCDW and the MEPs with sympathies towards them worked intensively on the contents of the congress preparation. We did not just clarify the contents of our ideas in a discussion with the EPP at our board meeting on 13th October 2000 in Oisterwijk. In Berlin too, members of the presidency and the workers' group "politics" concerned themselves with central points on the programmatic debate under the title "equality of economic and social policy".

The result: The EUCDW assesses this congress as completely positive both in the way the participants experienced it as well as in its decisions. Many positive European impulses have developed from the liveliness of a People's Party with 42 member parties (with different traditions and positions) and 7 associations. The spirit of unity, which characterised this congress, clearly showed the claim of the EPP to be strong political power capable of acting in and for Europe.

The discussion concerning the congress preparation started over a year ago. The EUCDW again and again clarified that the principle values of the social market economy, equal cooperation of freedom and solidarity, must not be questioned.
The new orientation, also in view of increasing globalisation, was heftily fought for in the working group which prepared the draft papers. This debate was continued at the congress in Berlin.

In the end, the application from the EUCDW to emphasise the Christian democratic principles of the social market economy was accepted with a large majority: "The values of the European Social Model (performance and social justice, competition and solidarity, personal responsibility and social security) remain relevant in conditions of globalized markets and rapid industrial change."

In a separate resolution, also based on an application of the EUCDW, the Christian democratic principles were confirmed which, concerning the economic order, include extensive statements on social policy as well as on the position of social partners / participation of workers.

On top of this is the belief of the EPP congress on the "obligation of the European Union as a whole as well as of every member country to fight unemployment and to strive actively for more employment". Furthermore, the EPP is in favour of a policy for safety and health protection at work to prevent "work conditions which offend human dignity in the same way as the temptation to regard work only as a matter of price". (This paragraph was also submitted by the EUCDW).

The congress set clear accents concerning the orientation of values. The present document entitled "A Union of common values" is a large step to strengthen the character of a peoples' party, which wants to be the strongest political power in Europe via a policy offer to all groups of society.
This project must be continued.
For the EUCDW, points such as the reform of social security systems, continued policy on work protection and the further development of workers' participation remain central. In this connection, the EUCDW always follows the principle of subsidiarity, which places the concrete realisation as far as possible on the level of the member countries or of the social partners.

Based on the fundamental decisions, we must now together develop and realise concrete political strategies. In this connection, the EPP congress has decided to organise a conference on "Freedom, responsibility and social justice".

The EUCDW, based on discussions with their 25 member organisations in 15 countries and in collaboration with the other associations of the EPP, will actively continue to contribute that the positive spirit of Berlin will lead to concrete political success.

Christopher Weisskirchen

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).

responsible: Luc Delanghe, President.

EUCDW
European Union of Christian Democratic Workers
c/o EPP, Rue du Commerce / Handelsstraat 10
B-1000 Brussels

E-mail: EUCDW

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