91998E2222

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2222/98

by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Subject: Employment plan in Spain

What is the Commission's view of the Spanish Government's failure to seek the agreement of the social partners for its national employment plan?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(30 September 1998)

In its Communication to the European Council in Cardiff(1), the Commission examined, among other things, the political and institutional processes adopted by each of the Member States in preparing and approving the National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs), focussing particular attention on consultation and cooperation with the key actors at national or regional level and in some cases with the representatives of the social partners, depending on the different national circumstances.

This examination showed that "the Member States are pursuing an inclusive strategy" and that the "NAPs embody a more transparent and politically-driven policy approach open to scrutiny". The increased involvement of the social partners must therefore be considered as one of the main achievements of the Luxembourg process.

As regards Spain, the information submitted by the Spanish Government shows that the two sides of industry were consulted on the national action plan, although no agreement was reached. It should also be remembered that representatives of the social partners were present at the working meetings between the Commission and the Spanish authorities. The Council resolution on the 1998 employment guidelines reaffirmed that the social partners at all levels would be involved in all stages of the process. However, the Commission is not competent to judge the consultation process between the Spanish authorities and the social partners.

In its Communication to the European Council in Cardiff, the Commission stressed the importance it attached to ensuring that all parties concerned make efforts to ensure that the input of the social partners "is reinforced at both national and European levels and its impact on employment duly evaluated", and to encouraging the social partners to "reinforce, implement and evaluate the impact of their contributions (on the employment strategy)". In particular, the social partners at national and European levels play a very important role in ensuring the success of this strategy in terms of the "modernisation of the contractual and institutional framework for reconciling flexibility and security, establishment of systems for lifelong learning and the promotion of new forms of work organisation and employment patterns such as job rotation systems".

The Commission hopes that these recommendations on the contribution of the social players to the employment strategy will be increasingly followed up by each Member State, depending on its circumstances, in the drawing up, implementation and evaluation of the employment guidelines.

(1) COM(98) 316 final.