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12th January; International Conference on Services Directive

4 January 2006

12th January; International Conference on Services Directive

On Thursday 12 January the United Left Group of the European Parliament (GUE/NGL), the political group of which the SP is the Dutch section, is organising a major international conference on the Services Directive, the measure instigated by former European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein. Representatives of political and social organisations and trade unions from twenty-seven countries will gather for the conference, which takes place in Brussels.

National and regional parliamentarians and other elected representatives from progressive parties from all twenty-five member states as well as Norway and Iceland – which would be affected by the Directive through their membership of the European Economic Area – will each present the state of affairs in relation to the proposed measure in their own countries. Representatives of social organisations and trade unions from the same countries will then take the floor, outlining their respective strategies for resisting the Services Directive. From the Netherlands, elected representatives from the SP, PvdA (Labour Party) and Green Left, as well as European representatives of the Union of Dutch Local Authorities (VNG), a delegation from the National Trade Unions Federation (FNV) and several social organisations.

On 14th February the European Parliament will vote in Strasbourg on the Services Directive. The participating parties, NGOs and trade unions will hold a mass protest demonstration against the Directive on the same day.

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