You have certainly noticed the small mistake in our previous newsletter: the sentence: “From this communication follows the white paper on social services of general interest” should have been “the white paper on services of general interest” The initiative from the Commission on the SSGI issue has raised the interest of many people. However, it seems that the motivation is more linked to the question of the internal market and the competition. If we consider the text proposed by the Parliament, we realise that all the social services are excluded from the directive framework on services in the internal market: “... social services such as social housing services, childcare and family services” The one proposed by the Commission excludes only the social services quoted in the text: “... social services relating to social housing, childcare and support of families”
Most of all, the excluded family services are restricted to the support services to the family and to people in need, it is to say in case of insolvability of the request. As all services of general interest are part of the Bolkestein Directive framework, this could mean the beginning of the seizure of Europe of the essential rights of the citizen. Please, check our website to read CECOP's reaction to this new version of the Bolkestein directive.
