Energy Community social workshop – lack of progress on national action plans

(17 June 2009) The main purpose of the workshop was to consider the national action plans to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the Social Aspects of the Energy Community. The governments of the Member States were to submit their plans by 1 June 2009. The results are poor. Few countries have done so. “We need concrete measures to address the job losses expected in these action plans” said EPSU’s Deputy General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan.

Other contributions covered health and safety, protection of vulnerable users, restructuring and concrete cases. Franc Dolar of EPSU affiliate SDE underlined how important the energy social dialogue had been for Slovenia, and that only full participation and integration of the unions would build trust and confidence. Dominque Raphel of CGT-FNME stressed the role of information and consultation including at European level through the EWC of EDF.

The final conclusions of the meeting picked up the various points. The new deadline for presenting the social action plans is 1 September.

EPSU/PSI/FES will organize the next Energy Round Table for 17-18 September and the 2nd Social Forum will be on 13-14 October.

The European Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat organized the workshop, 16 June 2009, Vienna

- Conclusions of the workshop