Social standards and globalisation ETUC seminar Turin Presentation by Rudi Delarue European Commission DG Employment and social affairs enlargement and international affairs

Social standards and globalisation European Commission approach/ concept Better addressing globalisation in EU and outside Relations with ILO: policy, techncial cooperation, standards, inside and outside EU ETUC and other questions Questions towards ETUC and affiliated organisations

Approach and Concepts Support for the report of the World Commission SDG and its follow up: (Communication SDG, 18 May 2004, COM 383 final and other initiatives) –from a fragmented approach towards a more coherent approach Relevance of EU social and economic model for the external dimension –Mutually reinforcing economic, employment, social and environmental policies –Definition of EU social model March 2002 Barcelona Summit

Definition EU social model is based on: good economic performance high level of social protection and education strong social dialogue employment as the best guarantee against social exclusion

Conceptual approach WCSDG and its proposals supported by EU Commission better governance at global, regional and national level includes social dialogue and better involvement of SP policy coherence between social and economic objectives decent work including CLS should become a global goal (including for institutions of economic governance such as WB,IMF, WTO) support strengthening ILO supervisory mechanisms strengthening ILO and its decent work agenda (employment, social dialogue, rights at work, social protection, gender) should be taken up more broadly and therefore support for policy coherence initiatives, policy dialogue development and globalisation forum complementary role CSR

Better addressing globalisation in EU Important for future EU social agenda Commission proposals for the future orientations of EU structural funds such as European social fund Implications for many methods of work and policies

Better addressing social dimension globalisation in EU Importance of strong social dimension in regional integration as a stepping stone for strengtening SDG Recognising the positive and negative aspects (see Communication SDG of 18 May 2005, Employment in Europe 2004) Lisbon agenda Pro-active approach to change Investment in human capital Addressing restructuring importance of fundamental rights (treaty, charter, specific directives) workers involvement, employment conditions balanced approach flexibility and security social dialogue at alle levels effective and sustained systems of social protection complementary role of CSR

Better addressing social dimension globalisation outside EU mainstreaming approach: –agreements and political dialogue with third countries and regions (Balkans, new neighbours, emerging economies, Latin America, ACP, other developing countries) –make employment and social policy issues (decent work) relevant at all stages of programming (external cooperation) –development policy (MDG review 2005 and decent work): –trade policy: multilateral and bilateral –CSR –strenthening global governance and concrete proposals for better involvement of social partners –importance of a strong social dimension of regional integration as a stepping stone towards strengthening SDG

European Commission relations with ILO shared principles, approaches and methods of work joint strategic interest in cooperation almost all ILO initatives have EU relevance in one way or another: standard setting, ratification, implemenation supervision, policy development, technical cooperation growing conscience of this in EU institutions, in ILO and in more and more EU Member states and amongst more and more social partners BUT more should be done stronger EU coordination in ILO will strengthen visibility and relevance of ILO in EU and will facilitate ratification and cooperation Proposal for a Council Decision authorising EUMS to ratify Convention 185 (seafarers ID) lower ILO Conventions ratification levels in EU MS in : lack of visibility of ILO in EU MS, stronger policy coherence between EU MS departments could help a lot both at the ILO and in EU when discussing SDG

Cooperation European Commission and ILO/SDG contributing to EU coordination (EU Presidency) on issues of EU interest: our objective is ensuring first an EU position, than outreach and dialogue with others such as IMEC (informal grouping of industrialised market economies) and others: exemple migrant workers ILC June 2004, health and safety at work ILC June 2004, maritime conventions consolidation, SDG but difficult discussion on follow-up in ILO GB and elsewhere ( back to a more administrative approach) cooperation between ILO and European Commission as institutions: 2001 exchange of letters covers decent work including CLS SDG, EU external cooperation and also 2004 partnership in the field of development cooperation was on the agenda of the last session of the European social dialogue committee November 2004; SDG on forum the liaison of social dialogue; also EU sector social dialogue committees other technical ministeries such as maritime transport, trade, justice often more open to discussions on ILO/EU issues than some national employment ministries