Memorandum by Monika Mura
This is in answer to your invitation to provide
an opinion over the changes that the recently signed Lisbon Treaty
will bring about to the EU policy-making and, as a consequence,
how this will impact on the UK policy-making.
I would like to provide you my comments over
the following subjects, which I find more relevant to my research
interests:
1. Employment and Social Affairs
2. Education, Vocational Training and Youth
EMPLOYMENT AND
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
— there are no significant changes
in the EU policy-making, as long as the initiative is left to
member states. The news with the past is the fact that the European
Commission will coordinate the exchange of practice and the monitoring
of the progresses.
In my view this represents a form of control,
as in order to reach a certain level of employment and reach a
fair standard in all the areas indicated in the article 140.
This provision should be regarded in the light
of the trends of the economy after the implementation of the Economic
and Monetary Union (EMU). All the Euro-countries suffer from high
levels of unemployment, and also most of the social welfare institutions
and trade unions have been in many cases re-shaped since the Euro
was introduced.
From the Amsterdam Treaty onwards the EU intended,
and clearly stated so, to fight against unemployment and the provisions
under Article 140 represent a further step towards this goal,
as the aim is to build the "most competitive economy in the
world", that is to say to create a more sustainable Europe.
However, again this ambition should be regarded
with relation to the overall performance of the EU economy and
in particular the operation of the European Central Bank. Since
the primary objective of fighting inflation neglect the impact
over the so called real sector, I do not predict any particular
achievements from this point of view, as any type of intervention
aimed to tackle unemployment or social dialogue is in any case
subjected to the working of the EMU, thus the scope and the effectiveness
of this action may be limited due to the compliance with the EMU
rules and economic model.
It is not clear how binding will be the progress
monitoring procedures, in the sense that if progresses are slower
than expected, it is not clear how (and if) the EU will take further
action to recover from any delay or non compliance by member states.
It is important to note that social partners
are this time more involved in the policy making, which means
that the Economic and Social Committee and UK trade unions or
not-for-profit organisations will be increasingly involved in
the making and the implementation of any policy or programme.
The incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights into the Lisbon Treaty and the recognition of the same
legal value will probably affect the UK legislation in a top-down
way, as any new law that the UK parliament discusses and approves
might be influenced by the pre-existence of EU regulations.
However, since the EU Court of Justice will
not extend its competence to UK, then any incompatibility with
the EU fundamental rights will be excluded. In many respects,
these rights are already embedded in the UK society, and mechanisms
to assure the respect of them are already in place.
EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL
TRAINING AND
YOUTH
This is another key field of the EU action.
The basic principle is that the EU is increasingly and dangerously
ageing, and the generational turn-over is not fully guaranteed.
Beside, at youth level, there is lack of awareness of the EU and
scarce participation in the EU affairs.
It seems from the new Treaty that the EU intends
to take the initiative to promote young participation and refill
the so called democratic deficit. It is not clear how, but a possible
way could be the issue of ad-hoc directives, call for proposals
and programmes, all specifically turn to young people. If UK has
in programme to deal with the same issues, it will probably find
an additional source of funding from the above.
Vocational training will certainly provide additional
funds to existing provisions in the UK, as it was in the case
of the Pan London programme, addressing the unemployment in the
London area. As in the past, again the focus will be almost certainly
on equal opportunities and social exclusion. However, as said
above for employment and all the welfare and social provisions,
all the projects will be subordinated to the EMU. Although UK
has formally opted out, the scope and the extent of the EU action
need to be considered in the light of it.
TOURISM
This is definitely a new priority of the EU.
The definition of this policy will not be different from other
policies, with the EU setting the general objectives and calling
the EU member states to discuss and design the appropriate programmes,
either solely devoted to tourism or cross-cutting the other policies,
like EU socio-economic cohesion policy and CAP, and any other
policy or programme having provisions on tourism.
14 December 2007
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