Ahead of the European Council of 28 and 29 June, CEEP calls on EU leaders to decide on a compact for growth in public services: “We very much hope that the upcoming EU Council will agree on a compact for growth and jobs”, stated Hans-Joachim Reck, President of CEEP, “provided that this is based on a sustainable and long lasting growth and consequent creation of employment”. CEEP believes that this means investment in public services, which are the engine for European growth.

In this respect, continued President Reck, “we call for an immediate launch of the Project Bond pilot phase and further investment not only in physical infrastructures such as transport and energy but also social infrastructures such as education and healthcare. The reprogramming of Structural Funds, which has proven effective in several Members States, should go in the same direction and support the creation of green and white jobs that are at the core of EU growth”.

All those initiatives can only be successful if based on a sound EU budget. CEEP considers that the current budget level of around 1% of GNI should be expanded. Efforts and reallocation should support job creation and economic growth whilst ensuring social, territorial and economic cohesion. The biggest increases should go to the cohesion funds, Horizon 2020 and Erasmus for all, in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy.

If the European Council is able to take those decisions, it will give EU citizens a strong

message of support of a long lasting European growth, based on high quality public services, able to ensure the link between a well performing Internal Market and a highly competitive social market economy. “Public services’ employers are committed to supporting EU leaders in all efforts in that direction”, concluded President Reck.

For further information, please contact:

Priya Klinkenberg- tel. +32 (0) 2 219 27 98

CEEP gathers enterprises and organisations from across Europe, both public and private, at national, regional and local level, which are public employers or providers of services of general interest. CEEP members contribute to more than 26% of EU GDP and employ 30% of the EU workforce; CEEP is one of the three general corss-industry European Social Partners.