Seminar: The path to neoliberal reform

On the next steps of the European Council and the Commission

Saturday 16th of March, from 14.30 to 17.30.
Mundo Building
Rue d’Edimbourg 26, Brussels

On the 14th and 15th of March the European Council will meet for a summit in Brussels. On the agenda – once again – will be the next steps on the path to a strong regime of ‘economic governance’. For instance, the issue of ‘contracts’ between member states and the Commission on economic policy will be prominent. Is this a major threat to democracy and social rights? What's at stake?

At this short seminar we will take a look at the state of affairs at the European Council.

Agenda:

1. What do the hardliners in the Council want?

Close analysis on the ‘German’ project on economic governance within the EU - giving special attention to the contracts model proposed recently by Mrs. Merkel.

Speaker: Steffen Stierle (Attac Germany)

2. Is there a substance to the talk on a social dimension of the EMU?

Examination of the guidelines recently published by Mr. Van Rompuy to frame the discussion of the EMU reforms. Here it is mentioned for the first time the importance of labour and youth unemployment issues. Is it merely an attempt to obtain the necessary legitimacy to implement the proposed reforms? Or is there a substance to the proposals?

Speaker: Ronald Janssen, advisor for the trade union movement, Brussels

3. How should we respond to the challenge?

We will finish the afternoon with a debate about how best as a network unpack and project these developments more effectively in the public domain. How do these issues on economic governance relate to the current lively debates about democracy in Europe.

Organised by the EU-in-crisis network
Facilitated by Transnational Institute, Corporate Europe Observatory & ATTAC-Germany

Please register to [email protected]