This is the message of support to the Cyprus Presidency and its “motto”, delivered by Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary of CEEP, at the meeting of the European Social Partners with the European Ministers of Employment and Social Security in Nicosia today.

Ms Ronzitti welcomed the focus put by the Presidency on the involvement of the Social

Partners at regional and local level in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy. “An important number of CEEP members operate at regional and local level” stated Ms Ronzitti.

“Their direct involvement in the shaping and implementation of European policies is the only way to guarantee that European level measures best respond to the needs of public service employers as well as of citizens as opposed to decisions taken by anonymous faces in Brussels”.

Moreover, the specific role of employers in, and providers of, Social Services of General interest was highlighted. Commenting on the poverty and social exclusion targets in the Europe 2020 Strategy, Ms Ronzitti stated: “In order to reach those targets, the right actors need to be addressed, those who have direct responsibility for the implementation of measures taken, or agreements reached, whether at tripartite or bipartite level. Only representative Social Partners have this capacity and this responsibility.”

Finally, CEEP General Secretary answered to the invitation from the European Commission to further involve the European Social Partners in the EU economic governance framework and in particular the European Semester. “CEEP very much welcomes this proposal because many of the policy issues linked to the EU economic governance framework touch upon core business of the Social Partners. To take an active role in this process will require a new level of maturity of the European Social Dialogue and in CEEP we are ready to meet the challenge.

For further information, please contact:

Andreas Persson - 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 more than 26% to the EU GDP and employ 30% of the EU workforce; CEEP is one of the three general corss-industry European Social Partners.