Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Update on SGI issues
EPSU Executive Committee
9 June, 2006
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
1.
2.
The launch of the EPSU campaign for public services
The launch of the European Parliament (EP) response to the
European Commission’s White Paper on SGI
3.
The discussions between ETUC and CEEP to draft a proposed
framework on Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI)
(document appended).
4.
The publication of the European Commission’s communication on
social services of general interest (SSGI) (EPSU analysis
appended).
5.
The initiative of the Party of European Socialists to draft a framework
directive on SGEI (document appended)
6.
Statement from the European Social Forum (ESF) in Athens on
public services (document appended)
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Structure of presentation
•Requested Action from EC
•Outline of other developments
•Timetable June – December 2006
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
EC is requested to:
endorse the EPSU response to the SSGI
communication (point 4)
give its support to the ETUC/CEEP initiative on the
draft SGEI legal framework (point 3)
note the statement on public services by the ESF in
Athens (point 6)
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
• Section One
•Calls for horizontal framework
•Critical of sectoral approach
•Member States have different ways of
organising sector(s)
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
•Section Two
•Definition of Social Services is narrow
– only social care and support services
•For Commission:
– Statutory and Complementary social
security schemes
– Other essential services provided
directly to the person
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
•Section Two continued:
• No reference to:
–those social services not provided
directly, e.g; social research, community
services
• Explicit exclusion of:
– education and healthcare services
• EPSU proposes wider list
–
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
•Section Three:
• Characteristics of SSGI
– Commission says ‘often have one or more’
• Emphasis is on ‘charity’ element
• No recognition that social services
serve the general public
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
• Section four:
• No link with health care and ‘holistic’
approach
• Section Five:
• Subsidiarity not recognised in
meaningful way
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
• Section Six:
• Modernisation only through:
– decentralisation
– outsourcing
– public-private partnerships
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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EPSU analysis of the European Commission Communication
on social services of general interest (appendix 2)
• Section Seven:
• Consultation process based on on
aligning social services with market
rules
• Conclusions: framework directive
• Action: distribute to EP (ECON and
EMPL committees) + Commission
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
the EC is requested to
give its support to the ETUC/CEEP initiative on
the draft SGEI legal framework (point 3)
• ETUC/ CEEP text is subject to
discussion
• Will be finalised by September 2006
• EC is requested to ask for clarifications
•EC is requested to give a general
endorsement of the text as circulated (31
May draft)
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
The EC is requested to
note the statement on public services by the ESF
in Athens (point 6)
• The statement proposes to set up a
European network in the defence and
promotion of public services, and
refers to the EPSU campaign as an
example.
• To coordinate actions (trade unions:
NGO’s)
• To meet on 27th October Geneva
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Outline of other activities and events
EPSU launched its campaign ‘quality public services –
quality of life’, in Vienna on April 20-21.
The launch included coalition partners,
CEEP (Caspar Einem)
CEMR (Michael Haupl),
Social Platform of NGOs (Anne-Sophie Parent)
European Parliament (Ieke Van de Burg MEP)
EPSU national co-ordinators were tasked with providing
country reports and organising national actions
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Outline of other activities and events
The launch of the EP response to the European
Commission’s White Paper on SGI
• Draft report 16 May Bernhard Rapkay MEP
(PES, DE) for ECON committee
• Draft opinions IMCO/ INTA/ INTR committees
• Schedule:
– 14 June deadline for amendments
– 20/21 debate in ECON
– 11/12 July vote in ECON
– 4/5 September vote in Plenary
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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The launch of the EP response to the European
Commission’s White Paper on SGI
continued
• Report calls for Commission to;
– ‘come forward with an appropriate legal
framework’
– however
•Paragraph 3 (page 5) is key
– calls for a distinction between market services
mainly financed by the user ( as SGEI) and nonmarket services financed by public funds (as SGI)
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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The launch of the EP response to the European
Commission’s White Paper on SGI
continued
• EPSU has submitted amendments (7 June)
– most significant on Para 3
– “regarding all sgi irrespective of the method of
funding, the primacy of principles of public service
obligations over market regulations, prevails”
• EPSU has also submitted amendments to
IMCO and INTA opinions
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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Outline of other activities and events
Initiative of the Party of European Socialists
to draft a framework on SGI
• Launched proposal 30 May
• Outline of PES communication strategy
attached
• Draft proposal open to amendments until
September
• Consultation and co-ordination with partners
• However, support in PES is fragile
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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Outline of other activities and events
Confrontations and CELSIG
• CELSIG (NGO for SGI) has informal network
working on draft directive
– EPSU, CEEP, Eurocities, social platfrom observers
• Confrontations (French/ EU NGO) is planning a
tour of 7 EU countries to ‘reconnect the EU with
citizens’ based on role of public services in the EU
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Outline of other activities and events
• Commissioner Walstrom’s Plan D
for Democracy
• Interparliamentary Forum
(December, under Finnish
Presidency)
• ECOSOC
• Committee of the Regions
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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Timetable June – December 2006
• 14 June European Parliament ECON
ammendments
• 20-21 June EP ECON debate
• 22 June EPSU journalists’ network in EP
• 28 June 2006 PES seminar with National
Parties
• June 29 PES Round table discussions
• 12 July EP ECON Vote
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
quality of life!
Timetable June – December 2006
• 12 July EPSU national coordinators’
meeting
• July/ August preparation/ national action/
events
• 4-5 September EP Plenary Vote
• 19 September PES Group conference on the
future of public services in collaboration
with European organisations
• 19 October Confrontations Conference
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EPSU Campaign Quality public services in Europe –
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Timetable June – December 2006
• 19-20 October EPSU Gender Equality seminar
• 27 October Geneva ESF public forum meeting
• 24 November Berlin Confrontations
• December Interparliamentary Forum (tba)
• 4-5 December EPSU public service
conference
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Conclusions
• June – September
– focus on European Parliament
– through national action/ events
– focus on ‘swing votes’
• October – December
– focus on Commission
– Consolidation of SGI draft texts
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