(25 June 2015) While bicycling to a meeting with European Commission Vice-president Sefkovic to discuss the European Energy Union I recalled our meeting on the European Citizens Initiative Right2Water on 17 February last year and the publication of the Commission response in March. Today, a year later, the discussion has moved to the European Parliament. The Irish MEP Lynn Boylan has done a good job to reflect the demands of the ECI in her report. Close to 250 amendments have been introduced however. Some amendments from Conservatives seek to deny people the human right to water. Others promote public-private partnerships or are viciously disingenuous in saying one thing but knowingly intending the complete opposite effect. Supporters of R2W have sent close to 5.000 emails to Members of the Committee persuading them to vote in favour of the report and compromise amendments. EPSU asked the MEPs to support a series of compromise amendments that still reflect the spirit of the ECI.
The result of the vote this Thursday was encouraging. A majority of MEPs supported the compromise amendments. The report will now move to the European Parliament's plenary where the vote will take place in September. This is an encouraging first step, not only for the ECI Right2Water but also for the instrument of the ECI. We hope the EPP which voted against nearly all compromises will change. We can try to convince them.
In parallel with the debate in the European Parliament, discussions on R2W continue in individual countries like in Slovenia. Also speakers for the new Greek government are putting the Human Right to Water forward in Greece.
But the Greek government might not get a chance to implement its progressive agenda. Eurozone countries are putting enormous pressure on Greece to accept new austerity measures. These might not be accepted in Greece. Unions in many countries have participated in solidarity actions for the Greek workers and people this week. Others have sent messages of solidarity to Adedy, and including the ETUC Executive Committee on 17 and 18 June, which focused on a broad range of policies and adopted a first position on work in the digital age. Most of the discussion concerned the preparation for Congress. One issue that will take centre-stage is the future of the Eurozone. How much democracy will still be possible if people fundamentally disagree with certain policies, but governments are limited by European rules, intergovernmental pacts and commitments made by previous governments ? And what about the impact on our coordination of collective bargaining ?
The so-called 5 Presidents report on Completing Europe's Economic and Monetary Union which was published on 22 June sets out the proposal of creating Competitiveness Councils. These Councils should advise the social partners on wages. The social partners keep their autonomy "but they should use the opinions of the Authorities as guidance during wage setting negotiations”. ETUC rejected the idea. The paper also sees a need for further labour market integration. The concept of flexicurity is back and reform of social protection and health systems takes centre stage. These issues were also discussed in the macro-economic dialogue at technical level that brings together social partners and various bodies of the Commission, member states and the ECB. The Employment Committee and the Economic Policy Committee (both composed of Member States representatives) also continue to push further reform of labour markets and are obsessed with competitiveness. The European Commission expects that the impact of the trade sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in Eastern Ukraine will continue to have a negative impact on growth in the EU area. Certainly the conflict has a negative impact on Ukraine's economy. The Ukrainian government pushed by the IMF, demands cuts in public finance. EPSU affiliates are mobilising against this with various actions. The hopes for more investment in the EU continue to be pinned on the Juncker Plan which received the endorsement of the main political parties in the European Parliament. The insistence on trade agreements by the European institutions was strangely absent from the discussions in the macro-economic meeting. Normally it is argued that these agreements will contribute to creating more growth and jobs, and this argument is normally used to convince workers and citizens of the benefits of trade agreements like CETA and TTIP. But, as over thousand shop stewards of EPSU affiliates made clear by participating in the picture action on Global Public Services Day 23 June: we are not convinced. Public services need to be excluded. Many thanks to all for in participating in the action.
And what about the meeting with Sefkovic this week? ETUC demanded that the European Commission includes the Just Transition agenda in its proposals. And I reminded the Commissioner that we expect his support in the Commission for real action if the Parliament is positive on the R2W. Remember, Commission President Juncker also signed up to the ECI.
In solidarity,
Jan Willem Goudriaan
EPSU General Secretary
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