“This marks the beginning, not the end, of the debate on Public Services in the EU”

European Federation of Public Services Press Communication

(20 November 2007, Brussels) The European Commission today published its views on the further consolidation of the legal framework regarding provision, organisation and financing of public services, including social services within the European Internal market.

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) contends that the Commission does not adequately acknowledge that an explicit provision for the adoption of a horizontal legislation ensuring the mission of public services in Europe has been included in the new Treaties of the European Union. EPSU General Secretary, Ms. Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, stated that; “It is now beyond question that there is a sound legal basis for public services in the new European Treaty, despite what the Commission would like to think”.

The public service campaign group (www.etuc.org; www.socialistgroup.org; www.ceep.org ) has garnered a major victory in forcing the Commission to retract its claim that this marks the end of the debate on public services. But the Commission must not simply retreat to its old ‘stall and crawl’ tactics, and instead, must face the reality that now is the time for a concrete legislative proposal.

The debate on the need for horizontal legislative initiatives and more legal certainty is not terminated by the protocol on public services, annex to the new Treaties of the European Union. Moreover, by giving interpretation of the new Treaties and neglecting the major innovation and new provision in the context of public services, namely Article 14 and the new legal basis for secondary substantive Community law under Council-Parliament co-decision procedure, the European Commission disregards the concerns of European citizens and a large number of local authorities, service providers and users concerns, expressed by signatories of the European Trade Union Movement petition and by concrete proposals on a EU legal framework for public services.

European Commissions’ President Barroso is putting social integration and solidarity at risk. Universal access to public services is a fundamental right and one of the pillars of the European Social Model; therefore, it is imperative that the Commission come forward with legal initiatives, ensuring high-quality and universal services in a growing social market economy.

However, it is not the adequate answer that the European Commission will provide legal guidance for public services regarding the application of EU law via interactive on-line services, without democratic approved regulation principles in line with the mandate given under the new Treaty of the European Union.

EPSU, the ETUC, CEEP and the PES Group within the European Parliament, will continue to campaign towards a European legal framework for public services taking into account citizens concerns and the responsibility for a further successful European integration.

Please find reactions to the Commission’s proposals of our partner organisations here:
PSE: http://www.socialistgroup.org
ETUC: http://www.etuc.org
CEEP:http://www.ceep.eu
Committee of the Regions (CoR): http://www.cor.europa.eu

For further information, please contact Brian Synnott at + 32 2 2501080 or epsu@epsu.org