Barroso seeks to settle public services debate

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will attempt this month (21 March) to draw a line under the debate over public services by setting out overarching principles governing sectors such as telecoms and postal services.

The move, which comes three years after the publication of a white paper on the subject, will coincide with the signing of the Berlin Declaration by EU leaders on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (25 March). The declaration will contain wording on the social dimension of the Union.

A Commission official confirmed that a clause on public services, known as services of general interest, will also be included in the Berlin Declaration. "It will be an aspect," he said. The clause, which has yet to be drafted, would serve to reassure those member states, including France, which pushed hard for the inclusion of ‘social’ elements in the text.

But the reference to public services is likely to be of decorative value only given that Barroso’s communication on public services will be largely non-committal. "The spin is that for ten years there’s been an awareness of the need to reconcile services of general interest principles," said the official. "But doing something is not necessarily changing what’s already been done or starting from scratch."

He was keen to emphasise that sector-specific laws and cross-cutting legislation in areas of state aid and public procurement already provide ample protection. Uniting all public services in a single legal framework, as called for by Socialist MEPs in September, would not necessarily provide legal certainty for the sector, he said. "We are not managing services of general interest from Brussels…we can’t and we don’t want to."

Josef Niemec, of the European Trade Union Confederation, said: "We knew that the Commission was reluctant to present a legal framework for all services of general interest…but we have shown that there are horizontal elements, such as universal access, that can cover all services. There are certain conditions, such as evaluation, which could be the responsibility of member states and the Commission."

The Commission official pushed back responsibility for evaluation of service provision to member states. The Commission, he pointed out, already publishes annual reports on telecoms, postal services, energy and transport in collaboration with member states.

Barroso’s move comes amid rising calls from candidates in the French presidential election for the EU to protect public services. Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal last month called for an EU regulatory framework on public services. And Nicolas Sarkozy, the centre-right’s candidate, has toned down talk of economic reform, promising to safeguard Europe’s social model.

The official confirmed that Barroso’s move could be linked with the French presidential elections, but stressed that the Commission’s involvement in the public sector would not be increased. "The French are traditionally more supportive of the idea of a framework directive. But we’re not saying we need to put more money in public services. That, France has to decide by itself."

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will attempt this month (21 March) to draw a line under the debate over public services by setting out overarching principles governing sectors such as telecoms and postal services.