Barroso
administration: Golden medal in serving interests
A
research by the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
“Through
the course of the crisis, attempts by corporations and corporate
lobby groups to influence EU policies have probably been more
successful than ever, in part due to a close relationship with the
Commission.”
“Corporate
Europe Observatory has gathered a lot of evidence over time and
covering many different areas that shows how the Commission is easily
captured by corporate interests. This report is an attempt to produce
a condensed version of how the Commission has come to act on behalf
of corporations over the past five years, focusing on climate
policies, agriculture and food, finance, economic, and fiscal
policies.”
2
- Crisis response: austerity and attacks on social rights
Key
findings
“After
the six-pack came many other measures, including the European
Semester, the two-pack and the Fiscal Compact 13, all of which had
basically the same purposes: to impose austerity, to push for reforms
of labour laws, and to increase the influence of the EU institutions
in general and the Commission in particular on member state budgets.
This increased control was to become a single-minded attack on social
expenditure in an attempt to make European economies more
'competitive'”
“The
Commission was cheered on by the business community in this process,
not least by two of the major players on the corporate lobbying
scene, BusinessEurope and the European Roundtable of Industrialists
(ERT).”
“Right
from the inception of the eurocrisis in 2010, the type of response
favoured by the Commission was clear: austerity and attacks on labour
rights and on pensions. The Commission and the Council responded
swiftly along these lines, and the first proposals were tabled in
June and September 2010. The latter proposal was the so-called “six
pack” which strengthened the EU rules meant to make member states
stick to strict fiscal policies – which in times of crisis would
mean harsh austerity. The six-pack was about wages as well, in that a
mechanism was introduced that allows the Commission to keep a close
eye on wage developments in member states, and suggest sanctions if
wages were going up too much according to a predefined threshold.”
“BusinessEurope
responded very positively to these six proposals, and felt its own
effort to influence developments had once again borne fruit: 'We are
glad to see a large number of these recommendations reflected in the
legislative package proposed by the European Commission on 29
September', BusinessEurope said in a statement.”
“One of
the mechanisms adopted in the course of the crisis is 'the European
Semester'. The European Semester is a procedure which makes a long
standing wish of the European Roundtable of Industrialists come true.
Back in 2002 the ERT wrote in a position paper, that 'at the drafting
stage, the implications of national budgets and of major national
fiscal policy measures [should be] reviewed at the level of the
Union'. At that point, the time for this to be adopted was not
ripe. The proposal was suggested by the Commission in 2005, but
rejected by the Council. But with the crisis, things changed, and in
2011 the first European Semester was carried out.”
“Under
the European Semester the Council votes on recommendations for each
member states’ economic policies, including for that of their
labour markets. The proposals are prepared by the Commission, and so
far it has been a pretty straightforward affair on some issues. There
is a remarkable resemblance – if not complete identity – between
the proposals by the Commission on labour and the wish lists of the
European employers’ lobby group, BusinessEurope, and the results
have been reduced labour protection laws in most member states.
And generally the Commission’s proposal have been adopted by the
Council.”
“In
March 2013 a meeting hosted by the German Government took place in
Berlin. Guests were the French President Hollande, the Commission
President Barroso, and a large number of CEOs of European
corporations, members of the renowned EU big business lobby group the
European Roundtable of Industrialists. The agenda of the meeting was
nothing short of the European Union’s next big steps on the road to
a common economic policy. In connection with the meetings, the ERT
stressed its desire to see 'modernised job protection measures
including reducing redundancy notice periods and severance payments
in exchange for training for new jobs'.”
"Whether
the ERT will succeed in framing the agenda of EU economic policies in
this way remains to be seen. At the end of 2014, the European Council
is set to decide on whether mandatory rules to centrally direct the
economic policies of member states should be adopted, either via EU
legislation or a separate 'competitiveness pact'. But proposals from
the French and German governments, backed by the Commission and
co-authored by some of the biggest in big business, would stand a
pretty good chance."
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