Brussels, 08/07/2004
What direction should Social Europe take? Such will be the main debate discussed at the Informal Employment and Social Policy Council Meeting which the social partners took part in (Maastricht on July the 8th)."
Strong social partnerships, welfare states and public services are the key elements of the European social model”, declared John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) at the Employment and Social Policy Informal Council meeting, held in Maastricht on July the 8th.
The informal Council has gathered together the Ministerial Troika (the present Dutch Presidency and the future two presidencies from Luxembourg and the UK), the Commission, the Parliament and the representatives of the European Social Partners in Maastricht on the 8th of July. Its objective is to identify the main European challenges in formulating social and employment policy.
At this meeting, the ETUC presented its memorandum to the Dutch Presidency.