MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
6 April 2000
pursuant to Rule 37(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Le Pen, de Gaulle, Gollnisch, Lang, Martinez and Vanhecke
on behalf of the TDI Group
on the Lisbon European Council
B5-0328/2000
Resolution on the Lisbon European Council
The European Parliament,
- having regard to the conclusions of the European Council held in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March last,
1. Notes that the employment policies pursued by the Member States and European Union alike have by and large failed, owing to reluctance to address the real causes of unemployment;
2. Draws attention to the fact that growth cannot be ordained and wonders what statistics the Council has used as its basis for forecasting average annual growth of 3% over the medium and long term;
3. Challenges the assertions which give European policies the credit for the prevailing climate of economic growth and job creation;
4. Is convinced rather that the unacceptable levels of unemployment and poverty reached in the Member States are a direct consequence of the rapid introduction of the single currency, ultra-free market and free-trade policies, mass immigration policy and excessively high taxation at European level;
5. Endorses the move to place employment at the core of European policies at last, even though it is calculated to win popularity for the EU;
6. Is aware of the challenges posed by technological and economic trends, particularly as regards acquiring suitable skills, research and development and access to new information technologies; believes, however, that the EU’s role should be precisely defined and the competences of the Member States respected;
7. Doubts furthermore that the Union can attain the goals it has set itself by means of parallel and yet contradictory proposals to regulate European undertakings ever more strictly, strengthen competition policy and organise the international division of labour both within and outside the EU, whilst liberalising the activities of public utilities and social protection;
8. Expresses particular concern at certain proposals aimed at:
- -standardising social protection, thus calling existing national systems into question;
- -giving the European Union a role in drawing up educational curricula;
- -making direct and indirect taxation more uniform;
- -granting the EU wider powers as regards the structure of public spending, be it social or budgetary in nature; and
- -introducing indicators and quantified targets which greatly risk becoming mandatory, with the EU empowered to impose on Member States economic and social measures which run counter to their interests and their citizens’ wishes, as a penalty for non-compliance;
9. Expresses its surprise at the fact that, although some references have been made to the future stability of pay-as-you-go systems, the direct link which exists between population structure and age on the one hand, and the vibrant state of the economy on the other, has never been established;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States.