The European Social Model

HL Deb 13 December 1999 vol 608 cc17-8WA

Lord Tebbit

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the statement by the Prime Minister in his speech to the Confederation of British Industry Conference on 12 November that "the special European Council in Lisbon next spring would provide a fundamental reform of the European social model so that the European Union as a whole will be able to compete and thrive in a fast-moving economy", whether they will set out the reform programme to which he referred [HL140]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville

The Portuguese announced that they will host a Special "European Council on employment, economic reform and social cohesion (towards a Europe of innovation and knowledge)" in March under their Presidency. As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry said in his speech to the CBI on 1 November 1999, we are determined to take this opportunity to work with our European partners to reform the European social model as part of our initiatives aimed at making Europe the most competitive, socially-inclusive knowledge-based economy in the world.