ACT NOW on Public Services! European Parliament tells Commission
Press Communication
Wednesday 27 September (immediate release)
Subject: public services (RAPKAY report) Key words: RAPKAY, services directive ACT NOW on Public Services! European Parliament tells Commission
Parliament majority for a ‘general legal framework on public services’1
(Strasbourg, 27 September 2006) Today the European Parliament sent a clear message on public services to the European Commission - act now or lose the support of Europe’s citizens. By a significant margin, Europe’s lawmakers voted through the RAPKAY report on public services and the EU. The report, steered by German Socialist MEP Bernard Rapkay, called for a general legal framework on public services. The report stated the following:
- Citizens should be guaranteed locally controlled, democratic, public services.
- The effective performance of a general interest task should prevail, in case of tension, over the application of treaty rules.
- EU rules must help ensure local authorities have capacity to provide public services.
- That compensation for public service obligation is not seen as state-aid.
- Local authorities should have the freedom to provide services ‘in-house’.
- That public services are recognised in the charter of fundamental rights as essential for territorial and social cohesion.
The European Parliament, which had already voted for action on public services in 2001 and 2004, reaffirmed its commitment to public service protection at the European level.
‘Pressure now on Commission to stop stalling’ The General Secretary of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), Ms. Carola Fischbach-Pyttel stated that; “for the third time in 5 years the European Parliament has asked the Commission to make a concrete proposal. The EP has shown that it is in tune with citizens’ needs. The pressure is now on the Commission to stop stalling”. The Commission has thusfar only indicated that it will produce yet another communication on the subject.
Some tension had existed in the Parliament about whether the recommendation to the Commission should be to come forward with a ‘framework’ text, which would act as the bedrock for public service principles, or whether a sector-by-sector approach would be appropriate. Today’s vote illustrates that regardless of the type of service of general interest, or public service, that general principles, which can be activated at EU level, is the definition that provides the greatest legal clarity. This ‘horizontal approach is particularly appropriate in order to act as a balance to the horizontally applicable services directive’ added Ms. Fischbach-Pyttel.
The European Federation pledges to continue its EU-wide campaign ‘Quality public services - quality of life’, calling for a legal framework on public services. For more details of actions and contacts in each of the 25 EU Member States, please see www.epsu.org/r/271
EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC. 8 million public service workers from over 200 trade unions are members. They organise workers in the energy, water and waste sectors, health and social services and local and national administration.
For information please contact:
EPSU, Brian Synnott, + 32 2 2501080, email: epsu@epsu.org
1.Paragraph 2, page 15, Explanatory note, RAPKAY report, A6-0275/2006
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