60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome

Today, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, and the day before an informal EU summit to celebrate the anniversary and reflect on the current state and future of the EU, the European Trade Union Confederation

  • Takes part in a trade union summit in Rome this morning with Italian national, sectoral and regional leaders from all 3 Italian trade unions, and a delegation of trade union leaders from other European countries.
  • Presents a joint declaration with employers on the future of Europe to the Tripartite Social Summit taking place this afternoon with the Prime Ministers of Italy, Malta, Estonia and Sweden, Presidents Juncker and Tusk, and Commissioners Dombrovskis and Thyssen.

The joint declaration of ETUC, BusinessEurope, CEEP and UEAPME offers strong support to the European Union, to a social market economy in Europe, a more robust and sustainable social model, social dialogue, increased public and private investment, and an ambitious industrial policy, as a contribution to the decisions for the future of Europe, to be taken by prime ministers and heads of states at the Summit on 25th March.

The celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome” said ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini – “are an opportunity to reinforce and relaunch an EU based on peace, democracy, prosperity and social justice.”

Commenting on the Declaration of Rome to be signed tomorrow by EU leaders, Visentini added: “I expect to see a clear and strong commitment from Member States and EU institutions to a social Europe that promotes social progress, to rights and equal opportunities for all, including gender equality.

Whatever words are agreed in the Declaration, the trade union movement will press for concrete measures to put words into practice, through the forthcoming Pillar of Social Rights, through EU economic policy including more socially-oriented Country Specific Recommendations and through other initiatives.

At 17.45 today there will be a trade union press conference at Sala Stampa of Palazzo Chigi, with ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini, ETUC President Rudy De Leeuw and General Secretaries of the three Italian trade unions CGIL-CISL-UIL, Susanna Camusso, Annamaria Furlan, Carmelo Barbagallo.

More information

  • Statement of the European Social Partners ‘60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome’ attached in pdf

 

CONTACT Julian Scola, Head of Press & Communications, ETUC, [email protected] mobile +32 486 117 394