Blair lanceert debat over Europees sociaal model (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - UK prime minister Tony Blair has announced that the British presidency will launch a debate on the sustainability of Europe's social model, as it stands at the heart of the current discussions on the future of the EU.

Speaking to journalists at an official launch of the UK's six-month chair of the EU on Friday (1 July) in London, Mr Blair said Britain would host a special informal summit this autumn to get European leaders together for talks on possible reform of the bloc's social and economic policies.

The European Commission was asked to prepare a paper outlining actions to be considered to adapt the union to the pressures of globalisation and the ticking demographic time bomb.

"I believe in Europe as a project with a strong social dimension", said the British prime minister, pointing out that the "social model" is not to be abandoned, but put up for re-organisation and adjustment.

Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso added "An EU without strong social commitment is not a union, but something else", stressing that solidarity has been one of the founding ideas behind the European project.

What is a "European social model"?

Mr Blair suggested that if the challenge to adapt to global pressures is not met, extreme forces on both the right and left side of the political spectrum would hijack the agenda with populist proposals that hardly represent true solutions to existing problems.

He referred to the UK's economic model as the one suited to today's world, due to its social elements as well as growth-friendly and competitive character.

But he is likely to face opposing arguments from his European counterparts.

Some economists stress there is hardly a single "European social model", but rather a set of various models currently present in Europe, with different foci in terms of growth and solidarity.

Britain, with its pragmatic and growth-oriented approach to social policies, stands on the opposite bank to France and Germany, which have a stronger social and solidarity agenda.

The Scandinavian countries are considered by many as standing in between these two approaches, but due to specific historic and national conditions, their models might not be applicable in all EU countries.

Opposing philosophies influence concrete policies

The opposing philosophies that exist in Europe about the right mix between growth and solidarity-related measures will also influence the economic agenda of the British presidency.

London wants to move on with the controversial working time directive, but some member states seem set to reject its idea that the opt-out from the 48-hour weekly limit should be upheld.

The legislation on liberalizing Europe's services is also doomed to be stuck in battles between countries favouring a complex overhaul of the existing cross-border measures in the sector, and those supporting more protective provisions.

On top of this, Britain wants to focus on "better regulation", an initiative already triggered by the EU executive.

The plan should lead to re-assessing legislation currently in Brussels' pipelines, as well as re-evaluating and possibly scrapping some existing EU laws which are burdensome for business or, to put in Mr Barroso's words, "clearly absurd".