Energy Community Ministerial Council urged to strengthen social dimension

Press Communication, 17 December 2009

The 2nd Social Forum of the Energy Community showed that much progress needs to be made by the Members of the Energy Community to integrate the social dimension. In several countries the National Social Actions were not considered sufficient and some countries did not even have one more then 2 years after signing the Memorandum of Understanding on the Social Aspects of the Memorandum. The progress is so slow that questions have been raised in the European Parliament.

EPSU urges the Ministers to do more to ensure workers and citizens do not lose out with the energy community. Our experience in the EU has demonstrated a significant loss of jobs, rising prices for domestic users and problems for investment.

EPSU Deputy General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan says: ‘We want the Ministers to put the social dimension high on the agenda. More work is needed and a more serious dialogue with the trade unions to implement the Memorandum. We need to prepare together with governments and employers for the restructuring and transition’.

The Ministerial Council is meeting 18 December 2009 in Zagreb. It brings together the Ministers of the countries of the Energy Community plus the European Commission. Ukraine and Moldova will be accepted as Members, Georgia and Turkey are observers.

For further information, please contact:
Jan Willem Goudriaan [email protected] or + 32 2 250180.