“ The longer we wait for positive concrete action on Services of General Interest (SGI), the harder it becomes to demonstrate that workers’ rights and public services remain part of the EU equation. Otherwise, all that will be left is growing citizens’ disenchantment with the EU.” This was the key message an ETUC-headed delegation also composed of its service federations, EPSU, UNI-Europa, ETF and ETUCE, conveyed to the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, at a meeting on 31 March in (...)

In a framework of our campaign, the ETUC Executive Committee agreed to organise a European-wide Action day on the 2nd/3rd April 2004. The ETUC is aware that many of organisations are involved in national activities. However, to make quite visible that the 2nd April is a European Action day, ETUC would welcome if you could send a delegation from your organisation to participate in this (...)

The 11 March plenary vote on the report on the Internal market strategy priorities 2003-2006 sends worrying signals for the future of social Europe. In an unholy alliance of Christian Democrats and Liberals, the European Parliament voted for an Internal Market that will only serve the private interests of big business to the detriment of Europe’s public interest. This majority block defeated several amendments arguing for a more balanced social Europe. It also makes a farce of the ongoing (...)

On Wednesday 10 March, the European Parliament will vote in plenary on the Miller report on the Commission’s Internal Market Strategy Priorities 2003-2006. The draft report, as adopted in the Parliament’s Internal Market and Legal Affairs Committee, is not acceptable. It argues for water liberalisation, views the Internal Market solely as the playground of big business and has rejected most amendments calling for a more socially balanced approach to the internal market. It also calls for (...)

John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), has called on European Commission President Romano Prodi to clearly state that public services are to be recognised, protected and promoted as an essential pillar of the European social market economy. The call comes after a period in which the commission has shown increasing inability to co-ordinate its message on public services. The European trade union community has strongly questioned the apparent intention (...)

In a clear rebuke to aggressive lobbying by private sector interests, Parliament reversed, in plenary vote, the negative position of its Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on the Green Paper on Services of General Interest. “The final report does not remove all the inaccuracies of the Committee report, especially the supposed benefits of liberalisation. BUT, crucially, Parliament has chosen to keep open the possibility to secure in a legal framework the general public interest over (...)

EPSU - CEMR - EUROCITIES in European Parliament On 3 December EPSU organised with CEMR and EUROCITIES* a joint meeting at the European Parliament to further discussion with MEPs on the Parliament’s report on Services of General Interest (drafted by Phlippe Herzog MEP). The meeting provided another opportunity to debate with MEPS from different parties the issues surrounding SGIs before the Parliament votes on December 16 on its report is voted in Plenary. EPSU is lobbying to get support (...)

Based on our conference of the same name held on 2 December 2002, EPSU has issued a publication which outlines the intellectual arguments for ensuring that services of general interest, and therefore a solidarity-based society, remain at the heart of the European project. This publication also reflects the broad range of organisations that have a passionate interest in this topic. Services of General Interest and the Convention on the future of Europe "You can shape the future of (...)

Green Paper on Services of General Interest COM (2003) 270 final Document Adopted by the Steering Committee on 24 September 2003 1. COM (2003) 270 final represents a welcome opportunity to continue the discussion on the values and objectives the European Union has set itself beyond the actual work of the Convention. This discussion to agree adequate measures to develop services of general interest (SGI) and services of general economic interest (SGEI) as indispensable tools for the EU’s (...)

David Hall, PSIRU, University of Greenwich d.j.hall gre.ac.uk September 2003 This paper was commissioned by EPSU 1.Introduction 1.1.General The relationship between public services (or services of general interest - SGI ) and the treaty of the European Union (EU) has become an increasingly important issue. There are two general issues, both of which also concern the role of democratic politics in the EU: whether public services, provided through national and local democratic (...)