Euromarches communiqué after the European Coordination (28 and 29 October 2001 in Paris)

Laeken-Brussels : the Euromarches will get mobilized from 11 to 15 December 2001 !

While economical recession comes back and unemployment goes back up, war and attacks are the reality of this ending year. The last summit of the Belgian Presidency, taking place in Laeken-Brussels, will be held in such a situation; and as a ministry of Tony Blair has cynically said, war must be considered as an opportunity to take unpopular measures…

Just before the enlargement to the eastern countries, a »declaration« should be adopted during this summit, declaration which has not been published yet and which concerns the following subjects: definition of the competences between the EU and its member states, status of the Charter of the Fundamental Rights proclaimed in Nice, simplification of the treaties- without changing their meaning-, role of the national parliaments within the EU architecture. This is in fact the elaboration of the EU Constitution (which should be finished by 2004) which has begun; and the second-rate Charter of the Fundamental Rights should be its preamble.

The fears we strongly expressed in Nice are just but reinforced by all these facts. This Charter, with no social rights, and specially with no right to an income, will only make the life of the unemployed and insecure workers from all over Europe even harder and harder.

The Euromarches appeal therefore to a large and active participation to the mobilizations, demonstrations and initiatives which will occur on 13, 14 and 15 December 2001 in Laeken-Brussels. The Euromarches will form their own march during the demonstrations to demand an unconditional guaranteed income for all and to denounce the generalization of insecure employment policies in all the countries.

On 11 and 12 December 2001, the Euromarches, with the participation of some other networks and organizations fighting against unemployment, insecure work and exclusions, will gather in Brussels the third »European Assembly of the Unemployed and Insecure Workers in the Struggle«. On Wednesday 12 December in the European Parliament, the voice of those who have been the victims for more than twenty years of the consequences of the EU Broad Economic Orientation Policies, of those who will only know misery from the euro, will be expressed through the unemployed and insecure workers organizations.

On 13 and 14 December, in the morning, the Euromarches will take part in the »Meeting for the Convergence of the European Social Movements« and in the start of the »International March of Social Resistance from Brussels to Seville«, before joining the other demonstrations and meetings.

European Coordination of the Euromarches
Paris, 29/10/2001