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Brussels, 06.11.2002
The European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) would like to contribute the following considerations to the ongoing discussion. Above all, the EUCDW welcomes the legally binding integration of the Charter of fundamental rights in the EU' Constitutional Treaty.
Based on the pertinent decisions of the EPP on the occasion of its last congress at Estoril, the EUCDW would like to stress three points: Firstly,
the joint responsibilities of Union and member states for the social
protection in the strictest sense of the word, i.e. the protection
of the health and safety of the workers at their places of work, need
to be emphasised. The introduction of common European (minimum) standards
for working practices and the handling of hazardous materials is a sensible
step. Such an approach provides the workers with immediate protection,
while it indirectly benefits (small and medium-sized) companies, too,
by staving off social dumping and unfair competition. Employment
policies will obviously have to - in strict compliance with the
subsidiarity principle - remain the responsibility of each individual
member state. Attempts to agree common principles on a European level
and to coordinate the measures taken by these member states have, on
the other hand, been shown to be useful. This is why the process of
agreeing European employment guidelines should remain entrenched in
the treaty. So far as the social security systems are concerned, the historically developed diversity would seem to rule out any attempt at coordination through a centralised European institution. On the other hand, a European added value may well be created if the EU member states decided to cooperate even more closely than they have done so far. Practical regulations to increase cross-border mobility would be a first objective. Attempts to coordinate any moves to reform the systems in the individual member states would, however, be equally sensible. The EUCDW points out, that those areas, which were until now excluded from the application of the European social policy must also become in the future European topics in order to create a European added value.
Employment and social policies have a more direct bearing on the living conditions of the citizens than most other political decisions. This means that the European Parliament in its capacity as the directly elected representative and agent of the European citizens must receive the full right of codecision concerning all questions concerning those policies. Secondly, the special role of the social partners needs to be stressed. In line with the principles of horizontal subsidiarity, they must retain the right and the capacity to agree terms and contracts which will then provide the framework for European Law. With a view to the future importance of the European Parliament in all legislative questions, however, its role in the contractual procedures will have to be increased.
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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