Doc. 10607

21 June 2005

Europe can and must be shaped with a view to social justice

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Riester and others

1.        The European Union member states have created social welfare rules to restrain the effects of unbridled market development and competition. The result of this is the welfare states. The European Union has set itself the goal of promoting the free development of the labour market, the services sector, and corporate establishment in addition to the free development of economic processes. This objective necessarily collides, at least for the time being, with national laws governing social security, workers rights and labour-management relations. The result is that many people in Europe have been made to feel insecure; the fear of unbridled price competition and a lack of rules is leading in effect to a rejection of Europe.

2.        In 1961 the Council of Europe drew up the European Social Charter alongside the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as a necessary basis for an overarching social order. From it instruments must be developed that take into account current problems. The objective is to better implement the agreements made in the revised Social Charter of 1996 in practice and in the lives of people.

3.        National efforts to amend labour, social and labour-management legislation are necessary but insufficient to guarantee European minimum standards of security.

4.        The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should work for comprehensive acceptance, implementation and application of the revised Social Charter by the member states. In addition, the Parliamentary Assembly should seek ways of and instruments for developing overarching social policies. These include, for instance:

-       minimum wage ranges that take into account national legislation;

-       framework rules on working hours as well as on worker safety and health protection that take into account the specific factors involved in national legislation;

-       the continued development of guidelines such as have been formulated in European law for the promotion of part-time work or non-discrimination.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed ¹:

RIESTER, Walter, Germany, SOC

ALAY FERRER, Vicenç, Andorra, SOC

ALIYEV, Bakhtiyar, Azerbaijan, SOC

BARTUMEU CASSANY, Jaume, Andorra, SOC

BINDIG, Rudolf, Germany, SOC

BRINCAT, Leo, Malta, SOC

CILEVIČS, Boriss, Latvia, SOC

CLIVETI, Minodora, Romania, SOC

COŞKUNOĞLU, Osman, Turkey, SOC

CRYER, Ann, United Kingdom, SOC

de MELO, Maria Manuela, Portugal, SOC

DEBONO GRECH, Joseph, Malta, SOC

ELO, Mikko, Finland, SOC

ETHERINGTON, Bill, United Kingdom, SOC

FERRO RODRIGUES, Eduardo, Portugal, SOC

GROSS, Andreas, Switzerland, SOC

GÜLÇIÇEK, Ali Riza, Turkey, SOC

JASKIERNIA, Jerzy, Poland, SOC

JONAS, Klaus Werner, Germany, SOC

LUCYGA, Christine, Germany, SOC

McNAMARA, Kevin, United Kingdom, SOC

OLIN, Kalevi, Finland, SOC

POL, Marek, Poland, SOC

SCHIEDER, Peter, Austria, SOC

SCHMIED, Walter, Switzerland, LDR

SKARPHÉÐINSSON, Össur, Iceland, SOC

STĂNOIU, Rodica Mihaela, Romania, SOC

STREB-HESSE, Rita, Germany, SOC

TRITZ, Marianne, Germany, SOC

VIS, Rudolf, United Kingdom, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group