Two votes at the European Parliament, one decision of the Commission. The Right advances at the European Level without a strong reaction of the European Left.
First act : at the beginning of the month, The Bolkenstein directive makes a revival. The European Parliament calls for a faster liberalization of the public services to reinforce the liberalization of the services. All the Right, including the French one, voted in favour. During the referendum in France, the Right tried to convince the people the Bolkenstein directive was died thanks to the activism of Chirac...
Read the report of Benoit Hamon, French MEP and member of the Economic and monetary affairs commission.
Second act : liberalization of the railways. Total liberalization of the transports of passengers in 2012. Liberalization of the international transports by train in 2008 . The French Right also voted in favour. Question: do we need competition for the railways? In France, we have a very good system, based on public services obligations. If we can be sure a lot of European firms will offer a Paris-Marseille at a very cheap price, who will provide a line between Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon at a competitive price? The Sncf, of course...
Third act: Barrosso wants to withdraw 68 pending legislative proposals and prepare a drastic simplification of all existing EU legislation. In the "shopping list" of Barrosso, a directive asked by the European Trade Unions, who protect the temporary workers, the draft regulations for the statute of a European Association and a European Mutual Society, draft directive on safety requirements for cabin crews on planes..
A simplification or a new vision of the European model (a free-trade area without any kind of regulations)?..
Read "Dans les poubelles de la commission Barrosso" (Benoit Hamon)
Read "Dans les poubelles de la commission Barrosso" (Benoit Hamon)
2 comments:
The rail liberalisation is seen as totally crazy by anyone who has to use the trains in the UK - we had competition 15 years ago and still they can't run safe effecient trains. The rail companies still get billions in subsidies, but they get huge profits for the shareholders instead investing in better staff, tracks and stations. To do the failed UK model on a European scale would be criminal. Transport is a punlic service and should be run by the public sector, not for those only interested in profits.
Remi - this is a great blog, and really useful!
Thanks Matthew!
our public service of transport is crucial for us. Now the right-wing government in France, together with the boss of SNCF want to delete some railwayw line. Because they are not competitive. For us, we assume this situation. We want TGV which make benefits but we also want to maintain railwayw which are in deficit. It is both an economic model of compensation and a model which is necessary to ensure social cohesion and efficiency.
We will organize a European mobilization against the liberalization of the railways. Do u want to join us?? We plan to make demonstrations in front of the EU parliament and try to convince MEP..
matthew, we keep in contact. We need these links between the European Left. And more now, u have seen what was the ideology developed in the Labour Conference...
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