Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 12269 | 03 June 2010

Unfair economic competition by third countries: social dumping

Signatories: Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Deborah BERGAMINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Lorenzo CESA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Gianpaolo DOZZO, Italy, EDG ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom ; Mr Bill ETHERINGTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Reijo KALLIO, Finland, SOC ; Mr Franz Eduard KÜHNEL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Muriel MARLAND-MILITELLO, France, EPP/CD ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr José MENDES BOTA, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Krasimir MINCHEV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Kent OLSSON, Sweden ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Gabino PUCHE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Lluís Maria de PUIG i OLIVE, Spain, SOC ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacinto RUSSO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Giuseppe SARO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacomo STUCCHI, Italy, EDG ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Marco ZACCHERA, Italy, EDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Today's economic and social situation facilitates the globalisation of markets as well as the trading of goods between Council of Europe member states and all the other countries in the world, particularly those where production is growing sharply. Violations of fundamental human rights in those countries directly and indirectly affect actual growth in Council of Europe member states. This results in unfair competition and keeps average pay rises in Council of Europe countries down as a result of the lower labour costs and, in particular, the permanent denial of fundamental rights in many non-European countries.

The promotion of human rights and the European Convention in countries which are in strong competition with Europe would protect not only human rights, but also quality of employment, the social market economy and fair competition. In countries with rapidly growing economies, systematic violation of the rights enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirmed in Articles 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular, has direct effects on the economic conditions of workers and entrepreneurs in Council of Europe member states.

The common policy which safeguards intellectual property rights and quality national products, recognising the ingenuity of inventors and the role of workers in small, medium-sized and large companies in Council of Europe member countries, must develop effective new instruments. The Parliamentary Assembly could invite the Committee of Ministers to assess the possible need for a Convention which, when promoted in our relations with third countries, would safeguard European workers, employers and citizens through the new means of "quality marks" and "marks of origin" demonstrating that human rights are protected in the producer countries.