The European Parliament adopted the report drafted by Anne VAN LANCKER (PES, B) on the social policy agenda. The resolution was adopted by 395 votes in favour, 67 against and 92 abstentions.
In adopting the report, the European Parliament calls on the Commission to undertake certain actions. The following are the main requests made to the Commission:
- take into account the necessity of gender mainstreaming in all the sectors concerned by the social agenda and to monitor this process closely through regular reports;
- complement its e-Europe action plan and its e-working, e-inclusion and e-learning initiatives with an action plan for the development of the social economy, local employment and the service sector;
- present a directive on social protection for the new forms of employment;
- reinforce the right to information, consultation and participation of workers;
- present a proposal to amend Directive 92/85/EC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers, those who have recently given birth or breastfeeding workers;
- propose a legislative instrument on the introduction of a prior, binding test of the cross-border effects of social and fiscal legislation;
- ensure that full account is taken of the social dimension in competition policy;
- assess operation of the social clause in the context of the GSP (compliance with specific ILO conventions).�