Bid to beef up EU’s role in social policy

Date: 29/06/2000

By John Shelley

Famed for their tradition of strike action, the French people have never been slow to vocalise their demands for social rights and their government is already showing signs of continuing the custom during its stint at Europe's helm.

Even before it takes over the presidency, Paris has been making loud noises about a host of things it plans to do in the social affairs field and the need to beef up the Union's role in this area. This is exactly the kind of rhetoric which makes some other governments squirm, determined as they are to keep control over their social protection regimes.

Even it were not so domestically popular, Paris would have little choice but to take social affairs seriously because preparatory work by the Portuguese presidency and a bumper crop of European Commission proposals means they are going to have to work hard just to stay on top of it.

It is no coincidence that Employment Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou will publish her key 'social agenda' plan just days before Paris takes over control. France has agreed to use this as the basis for its own work, aiming to get it approved by EU leaders at their Nice summit in December.

During its presidency, Paris will also be expected to clinch agreement on legislation to combat discrimination in the work place, push forward sex equality plans, oversee a review of member states' employment targets and continue adapting the Union's social model to the demands of the information society.

To some extent then, the noise from Paris is part of an early attempt to make sure it gets the credit for work others have set up for it. "If Diamantopoulou's agenda plan is adopted it will be counted as victory for the French and not for the Commission," said one diplomat.

Although Paris says it might also come up with as-yet undisclosed ideas of its own, it is difficult to see exactly what it can do given that the Commission has the sole right of initiative in the employment field.

The dreams of French diplomats to instigate legislation on harmonising social security systems are a long way from being realised, but the presidency could still come up with some concrete plans - for example, firming up proposals to increase the role of trade unions, employers and non-governmental organisations in EU decision-making. But diplomats remain sceptical about whether this will actually happen."I know that the French are keen to make a splash on social affairs,' said one. "We know that the Commission is keen to push forward the Lisbon agenda, but exactly what the French are planning beyond this, if anything, we do not know."

A stronger possibility is that the legacy which the French hope to leave is not a raft of new programmes, but rather an increased momentum behind the emphasis on social affairs which governments introduced at the Lisbon summit. The March meeting produced what officials have described as a "remarkable consensus" between member states on the need for an effective social policy to support the successes of the free market.

But while some governments believe this defines the limit of the Union's social role, the French are more inclined to take it as a starting point for an increased ideologically-based social plan.

Officials say pushing forward the political agenda rather than the policy one may, in the long term, have a greater impact on Europe's future social direction. Whether other countries will take a liking to this remains to be seen. "The British and others may think it is not threatening as long as there are no actual laws," said one Commission official. "Or they may get upset about what it could lead to."

Article forms part of a survey on the French EU Presidency, July-December 2000.