European Federation of Public Service Unions

1. ETUC Conference« The Services of General Interest and the Internal Market – What does the Future hold? »Lisbon, 9-11 April 2008Carola Fischbach-Pyttel EPSU General Secretary

2. European Federation of Public Service Unions • EPSU represents 8 million workers • 210+ trade unions • All European countries • Municipalities, central government, health and social services, utilities (electricity and gas, water, waste) • EU social dialogue in local government, electricity, gas, hospitals and national administration • Public and private

3. « ….CREATING AN EVER CLOSER UNION AMONG THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE »  (Preamble of the Treaty of Rome + Article 1 Treaty on European Union)

4. The European social model – its main pillars • Quality of work (employment, health and safety, working time, equal opportunities) • Trade union rights, information and consultation, social dialogue between employers and trade unions • Quality public services, as instrument of social and economic cohesion

5. Public services in the EU • Internal Market (four freedoms – capital, goods, services, people) • Macro-economic policy (low public spending) • Marketisation of public services, e.g. liberalisation of ‘network’ industries (gas, electricity, transport, post, telecoms) • Public procurement and State Aids policy • Support for EU patient mobility rather than improve national health systems (no political will to tackle inequalities within societies) • ‘Divide and rule policy’ between SGEI, SSGI, non-economic SSGI…

6. ....a fog called law? Freedom to provide services Maastricht criteria (non)-economic activity Monti-Package Competition law Focus on public service provider – not public service Concessions Transparency Directive Public procurement public service obligation PPP Services Directive Non-discrimination on grounds of nationality Sectoral liberalisation

7. Trade union strategy A positive agenda for public services…. • EPSU Campaign “quality public services – quality of life” • ETUC petition – more than1/2 million signatures • Joint declaration signed by Mayors of capital cities • Citizens’ increasing opposition against privatisation • Growing evidence of the failures and costs of marketisation • Important link between public services and purchasing power • Developing policies on fair taxation and public spending

8. New EU Reform Treaty What possibilities? • Protocol on public services (services of general interest) • Article 14 as future legal basis for a framework law • Charter of Fundamental Rights • Concept of “social market economy” • EU Action Programme for quality public services?

9. EU Action programme on ‘quality public services’ (1) Financing, Organisation & Delivery of services QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES Equality, Cohesion, Social inclusion Involvement & participation of users and social partners Quality of working conditions

10. EU Action programme on ‘quality public services’ (2) • Aim to implement in practice the principles of solidarity, equal access, universality, continuity, affordability, proximity, social partnership and democratic control • Spell out the broad objectives and responsibilities for public authorities in the funding, organization and delivery of public services • Provide a framework and criteria for sectoral initiatives • Set concrete objectives and targets for improving public services at different levels • Include quality standards and criteria, participation of workers and citizens, and evaluation • Accompanied with monitoring and support instruments (e.g ESF) • Extend beyond EU borders (e.g.,to ENP countries)

11. Other EU initiatives to support quality public services • Broaden the definition of what counts as ‘in-house’ provision • Encourage public-public cooperation (e.g.,inter-communal cooperation) • Give more scope for the inclusion of social and environmental criteria in public procurement contracts • Tackle corruption and underpin good administration, transparency, democratic control, and the participation of users and social partners in the delivery of quality public services • Support quality of work, including life-long learning and competence development in improving the quality of work in public sector

12. ETUC/EPSU - Ideas for follow-up? • Set up working group to develop the content of EU Action Programme on quality public services • Continue alliance with PES+, NGOs, CoR, EESC… • French Presidency initiative on Action Programme?