The European Commission has today published its report on globalisation, social Europe, ageing and the Lisbon agenda, its contribution to the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government on 27 October in the UK. According to the press release:
“Status quo is not an option”, said European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso. “This is about the kind of Europe we want our children to live in and how we pay for it. We can achieve a Europe which meets our citizen’s expectations and values, such as social justice and quality of life. Acting together at European level, we can give Europe a future. Action and delivery on modernisation promises must be the watchwords”
The European Commission’s report is called European values in the globalised world (PDF). Here are some excerpts on the social model debate:
The variations within the EU are considerable. …This report does not attempt to single out particular “models”, but rather recognises (i) that no country has yet found all the answers and (ii) that each system has distinctly European characteristics on which we should build:
First, national economic and social policies are built on shared values such as solidarity and cohesion, equal opportunities and the fight against all forms of discrimination, adequate health and safety in the workplace, universal access to education and healthcare, quality of life and quality in work, sustainable development and the involvement of civil society. These values represent a European choice in favour of a social market economy. They are reflected in the EU treaties, its action and legislation, as well as in the European Convention of Human Rights and our Charter of fundamental rights.
Second, European citizens have greater expectations of the state than their equivalents in the Asia or America. The public sector tends to play a big role, either through regulation or government spending, in the organisation and financing of national systems. In addition, all Member States have a played a strong role in the delivery of high quality services of general interest which have been a key feature of economic and social development. On average, the 25 EU Member States devote 27% of GDP to public spending on social protection, compared to 15% in the United States and 17% in Japan.
Third, a strong "European dimension” reinforces national systems. In contrast to other regions of the world, national systems here are reinforced by European level policies (such as the stability offered by macro-economic policy, the dynamism created by the internal market and the social agenda, and the cohesion promoted by EU Structural Funding).
Fourth, there is a strong tradition of social dialogue and partnershipbetween governments, industry and trade unions – even if the detailed mechanisms vary considerably between Member States. At a European level, this has been reflected in the EU Treaties and, for example, the regular Tripartite Social Summits.
One suspects this is somewhat blander than the original draft of the paper, which I understand was considerably longer then this 15 page epistle. For example, on jobs we get this
The need for reform and modernisation is clear. ...Raise employment rates and reduce unemployment, particularly though active labour market policies and promoting flexibility and adaptability designed to protect people rather than jobs; we must think as much about the jobholder as about the job.
Does that paragraph actually mean anything? It's hard to tell. For real meat, though, Andre Sapir's paper is the one to read.
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