Save Our Social EUROPE – On 22/23 March, Prime Ministers and Presidents will take a crucial decision about the future of the European Union when they agree a 5-year strategy setting the agenda for economic development in the EU.
In Lisbon in 2000, the EU’s leaders agreed that sustainable development could only be achieved with a strategy that integrated economic, social and environmental policies. Now, this balanced approach is under threat.
The European Commission led by President Barroso has proposed to governments that social and environmental concerns be sidelined so that the focus remains only on “growth and jobs”. If European Union leaders agree to this proposal, the European social model will be seriously undermined.
We support an agenda of jobs and growth, and we believe that high levels of social protection, social inclusion and full employment are in themselves a fundamental right and a key factor in the EU’s economic success. This integrated approach must remain at the core of any EU strategy for economic development.
We therefore call upon the European Council and the Luxembourg Presidency to reintegrate the social dimension into the Lisbon Strategy.
We like-minded organisations are launching the campaign SOS Europe – Save Our Social Europe. We aim to find strong support amongst civil society organisations, trade unions and decision-makers at European and national level in order to send a clear signal to the Spring European Council on March 22/23, where EU governments will make these crucial decisions.
We intend to deliver the Declaration signed by many hundreds of organisations to the President of Council, Jean-Claude Juncker at the Spring European Council.
We call on you to support the declaration by clicking here – it will take just a few seconds. In the run-up to the 22/23 March, we particularly encourage organisations to sign the declaration, rather than individuals.
A one page advertisement is also being planned to appear just before the Summit. The ad will include the Declaration as well as the names of all its signatories. We would be grateful for any financial contributions towards the cost of the advertisement and the campaign.
For more information, you can contact Katrin Hugendubel at Solidar (+32 2 5001021, katrin@solidar.org).
SOS Europe website:
http://www.soseurope.org
