MEP drops bid to block Italian education funds

Date: 03/07/1997

By Leyla Linton

ITALIAN MEPs have won a rearguard action against plans to freeze part of their country's funding for the Socrates education programme.

British Socialist MEP Hugh McMahon has been forced to drop his demand for 25&percent; of Italy's Socrates money to be withheld until it ensures that foreign language assistants or lettori are guaranteed the same rights as Italian university teachers.

McMahon had hoped to use this as a bargaining chip to force the authorities to act. But after pressure from his colleagues on the European Parliament's social affairs and employment committee, he decided the move was politically unwise as well as technically unfeasible.

However, McMahon's report, which was due to be adopted this week, calls on the European Commission to institute new legal proceedings against Italy in the European Court of Justice for breaching EU law and to fine Rome if it ignores the Court's ruling.

The move is the latest twist in a long-running dispute between Italian universities and foreign lettori who feel they have been unfairly treated.

David Petrie, one of three individuals whose cases are pending before the ECJ, said this week he was disappointed that the Parliament would not take tough financial action against Italy.

The Commission has already started infringement proceedings against Rome for violating Union rules by operating discriminatory employment policies, but it is still waiting for a response from Italian officials.

Italy has already been condemned twice by the ECJ, in 1989 and 1993, for discriminating between EU nationals by insisting on temporary contracts for foreign language assistants while Italians were given permanent jobs.

Although the country changed its legislation to try to rectify the situation, a collective agreement between employers and trade unions effectively negated the change, according to a spokeswoman for Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn.

“The Italian authorities have made efforts to regulate the situation, but they have been superseded by a cartel,” she said, adding that it would be better to find a compromise than rely on legal proceedings.