The European Commission and countries from South East Europe (SEE) are negotiating a Treaty that will extend the EU's competition laws and electricity and gas market opening to SEE. This is the first time the EU will do this through a legally binding instrument. There is no social dimension foreseen and negotiations take place in secret. EPSU's SEE energy unions united to demand transparency, democracy and the inclusion of fundamental rights and the EU social laws during a seminar in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 9-11 December 2004. We can not accept the logics of a Europe that moves on the sole leg of competition. The unions also expressed themselves against further privatisation given the impact on citizens and workers. EPSU has contacted MEPs, Council Presidency and Commissioners to argue our case.
EPSU was also instrumental in the adoption of a joint statement by the EU's electricity social partners (Eurelectric for the employers) arguing that the trade unions and employers of the countries concerned should be part of the European social dialogue committee.
And the Commission looks even further. It appears to consider this Treaty also a model for its energy relations with Russia and Ukraine.
Countries of SEE are:
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo (UNMIK), Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Turkey. Moldova is an observer
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