9.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 204/1

1.1

The Single Market Observatory has been set up by the EESC to monitor progress on completion of the Single Market and over the years has produced a number of opinions responding to requests for Exploratory Opinions from other institutions, such as the Council, the Commission and the Parliament and also from the EU Presidencies (1), the most recent being the response to the Commission's progress report on the Review of the Single Market (2). Additionally the EESC has produced a number of ‘own-initiative’ opinions over the years.

1.2

This own-initiative is timely as the European Council at its meeting on 18-19 October 2007 decided to make the EU the pacesetter internationally in regulatory matters and in market opening. The EU can shape globalisation if it connects its model for development combining sustainable growth, social justice and concern for the environment. The Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs is a better response to globalisation rather than a retreat in to protectionism.

1.3

Employers and trade unions agree that, when negotiated by the social partners, ‘flexicurity’ (3) can create a win-win situation for companies and workers. It therefore provides the right framework for modernising European labour markets, embracing labour law, effective life long learning systems and preserved and enhanced social protection. In addition, an effective social dialogue (especially if conducted through collective bargaining) will contribute to the smooth functioning of labour markets.

1.4

The EESC is aware of the Commission Communication on ‘The European interest: Succeeding in the age of globalisation’ (4) which it submitted to the Lisbon informal European Council.

1.5

The success of the Single Market in so many internal EU activities has been taken for granted by the majority of EU citizens. The Single Market is not a ‘fait accompli’ but has been described by Commissioner McCreevy as ‘work in progress’ (5). Apart from the need to complete the Single Market the EU is now required to face up to the challenge of globalisation and encourage the open market principles on which the union is based, a world in which protectionism has no place and competition is genuine.

1.6

A part of the EU's global mission is to bring about harmonised standards with a free movement of capital, goods, services and people. This means third countries wishing to do business in the EU will not be allowed to circumvent the rules applied in the Internal Market whether concerning consumer protection, technical standards, working conditions and respect of the environment.

1.7

An important part of the challenge of globalisation is the role of the World Trade Organisation, the ILO and the increasingly interdependent world financial markets, an interdependence which has been underlined by the crisis on stock markets and other financial markets in the second half of 2007.

1.8

The European Single Market is not sufficient itself. The EU needs to trade and develop its relations with the rest of the world. It also needs to remain competitive with benefit to workers, employers and all citizens. The Lisbon strategy has been developed in order to achieve this and to enable the EU to become a more competitive economy on the world scene. The EU itself needs to ensure that remaining internal barriers are removed.

1.9

The object of this own-initiative opinion is to spur the EU into facing globalisation and to take the opportunities arising from it. Europe's economic success has not been built on protectionism but on the four freedoms on which the original European Economic Community was constructed. (The EU still needs to abolish some of its own trade restrictions.)

1.10

It should also be wary of falling into the American trap of subsidising the production of biofuels. Unless checked through the WTO these wasteful subsidies will inevitably lead to rising food prices and the problem of hunger in the developing and underdeveloped parts of the world (6).

1.11

The EESC takes note of and urges the Commission and Member States to heed the recommendations of the social partners in their joint review and analysis of the key challenges facing the European labour markets (7).

1.12

The EESC welcomes the Commission communication to the Lisbon Informal Council (8). In particular it supports the four strategies agreed then for both the Union and the Member States: R&D and innovation: the right business environment, investment in people, and energy and climate change. In all four areas, however, there is a need to deepen the reform agenda if the real potential for growth and jobs is to be met.

1.13

The EESC calls upon the Commission and the Council to ensure that social partners are closely involved in the design and implementation of the ‘flexicurity’ policy measures at national level.

1.14

EU firms and workers cannot be put at a disadvantage with those competing with them from third countries simply because the EU would like to be a standard bearer for advanced environmental practices.

1.15

The solution is that a common EU voice needs to be raised insistently and consistently in international negotiations on global warming; and that pressure is brought to bear on defaulting countries.

2.1

The Commission communication to the October meeting of Heads of State and Government follows up the informal meeting at Hampton Court in October 2005 where the challenge posed by globalisation in areas like innovation, energy, migration, education and demography were addressed. 2007 has seen an agreement to put Europe in the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change and to put in place a European policy for secure, sustainable and competitive energy — to put Europe, in fact, on the threshold of the 3rd industrial revolution.

2.2

Public awareness of globalisation and its benefits, as well as the resulting problems, have grown. Welcomed by some, feared by others, it has challenged some of the post war assumptions about the world economy (for example the dominance of the USA) and how governments could help their citizens to accept change. ‘Globalisation’ is an opportunity as well as a challenge for the EU.

2.3

50 years of European integration have seen the economic prospects of Member States entwined as never before, bringing unprecedented social progress. The next stage should aim to enable the EU to lead developing trends in the global economy and bring about international standards based on EU values.

2.4

Monetary union and the success of the euro have been and will continue to be a catalyst to deeper market integration and a reinforcement of the internal market. An environment characterised by low inflation, low interest rates, cheap and transparent transactions and deeper financial integration is conducive to cross border trade and investment in the EU, and helps European companies face global competition. Externally, the euro is providing shelter against current financial market turbulences and its strength alleviates some of the effects of price hikes on global food and energy markets driven by strong demand, not least from new emerging giants. However, the strength of the euro must reflect economic fundamentals. A rapid and marked appreciation of the euro, encouraged by an excessively high ECB reference rate and combined with monetary policies which are essentially similar to competitive devaluations in other parts of the world, represents a threat to EU prosperity. Such appreciation is a serious handicap for European business faced by costs in euros and revenue in dollars, resulting in relocation risks.

3.2

In addition to straight free trade agreements the EESC can see other innovative ways of tackling ongoing problems faced on the ground in a bilateral context by looking at the discussions in the Transatlantic Economic Council, set up after the April 30 EU-US summit. The first meeting of the Council on November 9 made good initial progress towards resolving problems for improved trade and investment conditions in the EU's largest economic partner. The issues that are in the balance need not necessarily interest other trading blocs, and hence the importance of such bilateral deals. (It is said that since April the two sides have made substantial progress in removing barriers to trade and investment and in easing regulatory burdens.)

The issues and areas of agreement relate to:

3.3

In addition, the European Union should also deepen and strengthen its economic cooperation with neighbouring countries such as Ukraine and with Russia. Russia's WTO Accession, the EU-Russia Common Economic Space and the new EU-Russia framework treaty are important milestones on the road to a truly strategic economic partnership. This strengthened cooperation should prepare the terrain for future negotiations on a Common Economic Area that would promote the free movement of goods and services, capital and people, knowledge and technology.

3.3.1

Since the broad issues of a strategic economic partnership can only be partially addressed by WTO accession, the EU and Russia should build their future economic relations where possible on WTO+ structures to create a common economic area for Greater Europe. This requires strong commitment from the EU and Russia to address a much broader and deeper range of issues than found in traditional free trade agreements.

3.3.2

The EU-Russia agreement should include inter alia common provisions for the national treatment of cross-border investments, elimination of customs duties, dismantling of non-tariff barriers, regulatory convergence, mutual recognition of standards and conformity assessment, trade facilitation and customs, cooperation on competition, services liberalisation, public procurement, sanitary and physo-sanitary regulations, intellectual property rights protection, dispute settlement and the use of international accounting standards. Examples of issues covered by such a broad agreement can be found, for instance, in the European Economic Area Agreements.

3.5

Globalisation has stepped up the pace of change — for technology, for ideas, for the way we work and live our lives. The EESC has consistently supported these aims and believes that if Europe can unlock its potential for innovation and creativity it can shape the direction of change in the world with a distinctive emphasis on European values and cultural diversity.

1.

Global warming cannot be reversed by the EU on its own and the final effect of EU measures will certainly be neutralised if other countries do not take steps to control use of energy and emissions.

2.

The EU should avoid creating an imbalance in competitiveness for EU producers of goods who would have to increase their operating costs by paying higher environmental taxes, thereby rendering themselves less competitive on the global stage. Moreover, this would be paving the way for de-location of investments that could be of strategic importance to the EU Single Market.

3.

The EESC is not convinced by the argument that higher environmental standards trigger new demands for more research into environmentally-friendly products. There is bound to be a huge time-lag before such products are researched and brought to market. In the meantime the other EU producers of goods that are energy intensive could be driven off the market by unfair competition from producers in countries that are not so enthusiastic in taking steps to control their emissions.

3.10.1

The solution is that a common EU voice needs to be raised insistently and consistently in international negotiations on global warming; and that pressure is brought to bear on defaulting countries. If the EU decides to go ahead on its own with raising certain higher environmental standards then it should consider imposing WTO compliant border measures on products that originate from countries that are known to be grave sinners against the environment, so that European producers would not operate at a competitive disadvantage.

3.10.2

An open global trading system is in the interests of the EU. Once the EU needed to protect its citizens, its interests and its values. Today protectionism cannot be the solution. As the world's leading trader and investor, our openness allows lower cost inputs for industry, lower prices for consumers, a competitive stimulus for business and new investment. At the same time, it is important for the EU to use its influence in international negotiations to seek openness from others: the political case for openness can only be sustained if others reciprocate in a positive manner.

3.10.3

The Commission needs to ensure that third countries offer proportionate levels of openness to EU exporters and investors and to have ground rules which do not undermine our capacity to protect our interests and to safeguard our high health, safety, social, environmental and consumer protection.

4.1

Globalisation and technological change risk increasing inequality, opening up the gap between the skilled and the unskilled and between rich and poor nations. The best solution is to help each individual and nation to adapt by improving the quality and the availability of education and training for all ages.

4.2

The EESC and the social partners have commented upon how ‘flexicurity’ should be shaped in order to help people to manage employment transitions more successfully in times of accelerating economic change.

4.3

The adoption by the 5 December Employment and Social Affairs Council (13) of a common set of principles on flexicurity paved the way for integration by Member States of flexicurity in their National Reform Programmes and subsequent implementation in close cooperation with national social partners.

4.4

The EESC would like to see more attention given to active policies to encourage inclusiveness and provide equal opportunities for groups encountering discrimination in the work market — over 50's, women, ethnic minorities and under qualified school leavers.

5.1

The EU is currently experiencing the effects of a global crisis on stock markets and other financial markets. Monetary union and the prompt reaction of the ECB to the turmoil have played a positive role. First of all, by injecting large amounts of liquidity on money markets the ECB has contributed to lessening a crisis of confidence in the banking sector, reducing the risk of significant tightening of credit conditions for companies and households. Secondly the absence of currency risks and low country specific risk premia imply that the more fragile EU economies have been able to face financial market turbulences relatively unaffected.

5.2

The global financial market turmoil and a weakening of the US dollar is affecting Europe, including through a significant appreciation of the euro due to the ECB maintaining its reference rate at an excessively high level and monetary policies which are essentially similar to competitive devaluations in other parts of the world, which will bear damaging consequences for the EU economy and its medium term prospects.

5.3

Recent events in world financial markets show a need to strengthen prudential rules, improve co-ordination and communication between monitoring authorities and central banks and enhance transparency and reporting.