Answering the citizens

It was probably the parliamentary session with the most packed agenda in the whole legislature for 2004-2009. The order of the day of the European Parliament, meeting in plenary in Strasbourg from 15 to 18 December, in fact comprised discussions between MEPs and EU President Nicolas Sarkozy on the results of last week’s summit, the vote on the climate/energy package and that on the 2009 budget, the ceremony for the award of the Sakharov Prize to the Chinese dissident Hu Jia, and the vote on the “hours of work” directive. The Parliament also tackled various questions of more immediate relevance for citizens: the definition of new safety standards for toys, a Community system of credits for education, and the reinforcement of the fight against counterfeiting. Three debates aroused particular interest: the first concerning the report on human rights at the International level; the second on the French initiative at the UNO for the depenalization of homosexuality in the world; and the third devoted to an examination of a report on fundamental rights in Europe.Georgia and economic crisis. In his speech to the European Parliament, the current President of the European Union, Nicolas Sarkozy, apart from reviewing the results of the European Council of 11-12 December, also summed up the results of his six months’ mandate at the helm of the “common home”. His speech took its cue from the news stories that are dominating the headlines at the present time and that in effect dictated the agenda and timetable of the French Presidency itself, beginning with the conflict in the Caucasus and the financial crisis. “With regard to the war in Georgia, we couldn’t just stand by wringing our hands as happened in Bosnia – said Sarkozy -. We negotiated the ceasefire and then the withdrawal of Russian troops. But above all Europe remained united and took action together”. With regard to the financial crisis, Sarkozy declared: “We sought common responses to this crisis, we lost no time” in approving a plan of coordinated interventions. The crisis imposed the need for “a reappraisal of the markets. We said no to the capitalism of speculators because we want a capitalism of businesses”. Climate package and working week. During the week, the European Parliament gave the go ahead, by a large majority, to the climate/energy package defined the previous week by the Council of heads of state and of government of the 27. The EP, on the other hand, rejected the directive on hours of work proposed by the European Council, which made provision for the possible extension of the working week in offices, factories and public services up to 65 hours per week through direct agreements between individual workers and their employers. The Council also proposed that “waiting time”, such as that involving medical practitioners and firemen, should not be considered as work. “I wish to congratulate all MEPs – declared the rapporteur, Spanish MEP Alejandro Cercas -. This is a success for everyone: for workers, trades unions and European citizens”. “We need to ensure – continued Cercas – that no obstacle be placed in the way of reconciliation between professional and family and social life”. More specifically, all the amendments proposed to the Council’s text were approved with a majority higher than the 393 votes required for a provision in its second reading. In particular the decisive amendment was approved by 421 in favour, 273 against and 11 abstentions: it establishes that the total hours of work per week should not exceed a maximum of 48, and grants three years to EU member states to bring themselves into line with this rule.“Respecting Sunday”. During the debate on the working week, on the other hand, MEPs were unable, for procedural reasons, to vote on two amendments aimed at discouraging work on Sundays, other than in some necessary services of public utility. In this regard Piotr Mazurkiewicz, general secretary of COMECE (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community), declared: “Sunday as a privileged day of weekly rest will not be inserted in the future European directive on hours of work, even if the explicit objective of this directive is precisely that of reconciliation between work and family life”. According to COMECE this is “an inconsistency and a failure to act, if we consider how eagerly European citizens are waiting for a social Europe that protects workers and their families”. Thanking “all those who had dedicated themselves to the protection of Sunday as a day of rest”, Mazurkiewicz recalled the commitment of MEPs Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Thomas Mann and Hubert Pirker, who had sponsored the two amendments in question, signed by a further 40 MEPs. “In view of the mobilization for the protection of Sunday as a day of rest in preparation for the vote” on the directive, “it’s important – concluded the COMECE secretary – that the Churches, trades unions and organizations of civil society continue to campaign and speak with one voice in member states, in particular when fundamental social rights need to be defended”.