New agenda bids to avoid social affairs battle

Date: 15/06/2000

By John Shelley

EMPLOYMENT Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou is poised to unveil her vision for social affairs policy in a paper which governments hope could prevent the subject becoming a battleground during France's stint at the EU's helm.

The 'social agenda' plan, due to be published this month, is Diamantopoulou's mission statement for the remainder of her term in office. She will use it show how her social and employment policies will form a coherent whole and set targets for implementing social programmes and legislation currently in the pipeline.

Paris has promised to use the paper as basis for its work in the social policy field when it takes over the Union presidency next month, instead of producing its own report as it had initially suggested. This has boosted hopes that France will shy clear of proposing a more ambitious programme, going beyond Diamantopoulou's vision of social rules as a complement to economic policy. "To some extent the agenda could be seen as calming down some of the wilder things that the French may have tried to do," said one Commission official.

In the run up to the EU presidency, French politicians have repeatedly stressed their determination to move Europe in a more socially conscious direction, although details of specific schemes remain sketchy.

Officials say that if Paris sticks to Diamantopoulou's plans, keeping within objectives laid down by Union leaders at their 'dot.com' summit in Lisbon in March, it will not create too many waves. But if France decides to push its own agenda hard, this could spark furious arguments with some member states.

Although Paris has no plans at this stage to call for specific pieces of new EU legislation, French diplomats say the government will use its presidency to champion new social affairs and employment laws should the need become apparent. This could include calling for concrete targets for reducing poverty to be set, or firming up the Commissioner's loose plans to increase the role of unions, employers and non-governmental organisations in EU decision-making.

However, any move to extend the social commitments made at the Lisbon summit are likely to be strongly resisted by member states such as the UK which are opposed to introducing measures which would increase the burden on European employers. "The British are going around a bit worried at the moment," said one official.

However, most diplomats believe that the pre-presidency talk is just bluster and are optimistic that the French will be content to get Diamantopoulou's plan approved by fellow governments. They add that the Commission's proposals will provide plenty of work to satisfy Paris' desire to make progress.

"If this agenda, as it is, is agreed by ministers at the end of the year, it will go down as a French presidency victory," said one diplomat.

Employment Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou is poised to unveil her vision for social affairs policy in a paper which governments hope could prevent the subject becoming a battleground during France's stint at the EU's helm.