Nos. l/2 January/February 1985 EUROPE SS
In this issue ...
Published by the Commission of the Who says the disabled are unemployable? By Morag Alexander 3 European Commuruties, 8 Storey's Gate, LondonSWIP3AT. Commission President Jacques Delors: a message to the Parliament 6 T el: 01-222 8122 Editor-m-Citief: George Scott Why Europe is awash in undrinkable wine. By Marcel Scotto 8 Associate Editor: Den is Thomas Printed by Edwin Snell, And why it's 'Cheers' to Ariane 9 Yeovil, Somerset
Danger: deadly cargoes on the move. By Anna Lubinska 10 Europe 85 does not necessarily reflect, in all particulars, the opinions of the Commuruty The fight is on to create new jobs in Wales. Report by Roy Stemman 12 institutions. Unsigned material may be quoted or reprinted without payment, Can we bring urban areas back to life? By Sieg Vlaeminck 14 subject to suitable acknowledgement. Belfast Office: Windsor House, 9115 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7EG Airbus takes off: a coup for European technology. By Paul Lewis 16 Tel. (0232) 240708 CardiffOffice: 4 Cathedral Road, Community reports 18 CardiffCFJ 9SG Tel. (0222) 371631 A woman cook is worthy of her salt. By Peggy Crane 20 Edinburgh Office: 7 Alva Street, Edinburgh EH2 4PH New light on the Old English. By Denis Thomas 21 Tel. (031) 225 2058 Associated editions: Questions in the house 22 Europe, 2100M Street, NW, Suite707, Washington DC20037, USA Tel. 202 8629500 COFA CE gets involved in family matters 23 Europe, 350SparksSueer, Suite IIlO, Ottawa, Onuuio,CanadaKIR 7S8. · What's in the papers 24 Tel. (613) 238-6464 Communiry Report, 39 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, Ireland EUROFORUM is inset after page 12. Cover: British Aerospace Tel. 712244 30Joursd'Europe, 61 rue des Belles Feuilles, 75782 Paris Cedex 16, France. Tel. 50158 85 Comunitll Europee, Via Poli 29, 00187 Rome, Italy. T el. 67897 22 EF-avisen Hl!jbrobus, 0stergade 61 , Post Box 144, I 004 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Tel 1441401145532 EG Magozin, Zitelmannstrasse 22 , 5300 Bonn, W. Germany Te1.238041 Comuniikrd europa, Serrano, 41·5 a planta Madrid-1, Spain Tel.4741199 Europaiki Koinotis, 2 Vassilissis Sofias, T.K. 1602, Athens 134, Greece Tel. 743 98213/4 Europa-bericht,EURinfo, Archimedesstraar73, 1040 Brussel, Belgium Tel. 2354178 Ethos de /'Europe, Batiment Jean Moon et, Luxembourg-lGrcbberg Tel. 43011 Avrupa, 15, Kuleli Sokak, Gaz.i Osman Pasa, Ankara, Turkey Tel: 27 61 45/46
2 EUROPE SS
Who ~ys the disabled are unemployable?
In times like the present, disabled people are more scheme for training disabled men and women for than ever at a disadvantage in the search for a the kind of jobs they would otherwise stand little worthwhile job. MORAG ALEXANDER has chance of getting, and which is SO per cent funded been to see how the Interface project works- a new by the European Commission
est Berkshire is the setting for tribution they can make in their communi network. The team has three main areas of one of the most hopeful ventures ties. The EEC Council of Ministers was activity - organising high-technology train for disabled people since the In an,Oous that the understanding and momen ing for disabled people; co-ordinating ser Wernational Year of the Disabled in tum built up over that year should not be lost, vices and promoting links between disabled 1981. The Interface Project, based in Read and invited the Commission to set up a people and organisations in the community; ing, is one of 16 projects in a European Community-wide network of locally-based and carrying out research. All are essential network set up to promote the economic and development schemes, to run for four years components in a project aimed at helping dis social integration of disabled people. It is beginning in 1983. abled people to play a full part in the social funded jointly by the European Social Fund In November 1983, Paddy Waring was and economic life of their communities. and Berkshire County CounciL appointed as project leader of the Interface In a time of economic recession, disabled The International Year of the Disabled had team in West Berkshire. He and his ·col people can experience great difficulty in helped to focus attention on the difficulties leagues, Tony Bates and Mandy Bolland, finding jobs. Getting-and holding-a job un faced by disabled people, and also on the con- make up the smallest team in the European deniably brings better living standards and ~ 3 EUROPE SS 'The team's adivities try to provide a pradical answer to the •solation faced by so many disabled_ people' increases self-respect; and a job that involves working alongside able-bodied people can promote social integration: Paddy Waring sees the dual emphasis of the project - of so cial and economic integration-as important. He warns, however, against the assumption that economic integration necessarily results in social integration. 'That's patently not true,' he says. 'Some one could be totally integrated at work and socially totally isolated when he goes home.' So the team's activities come together to try to provide a practical answer to the isolation faced by so many disabled people. In its training programme, Interface will provide training for 18 disabled people a year. At present, there are nine disabled students attending the ITEC centre at Abbey Mill House, in Reading. The Interface project has taken a quarter of the Youth Training Scheme places available at Abbey Mill house, to train the disabled students in electronic office skills, software development, or micro computer applications. Nick Hine is the training supervisor whose job it is to tailor the course material to the needs of his disabled students. Paddy Waring is conscious of the need to improve the self-confidence of the students, so that they can make the most of their train ing when they arrive in the job market. On the other hand, he and his team are wary of the risks of raising expectations that may not be met. This kind of balancing act requires special skills in diplomacy that the Interface has had ample opportunity to exercise. In its role as catalyst and co-ordinator in the community, it recently facilitated an agreement between Berkshire County Council and the Shaw introduced the people at the Trust to the Trust, an organisation setup in 1982 to prom people at the Social Services Department; 'We ad as a catalyst, ote the social and economic integration of dis within less than six months, despite the local and then we abled people into society. government curs, the County Council had withdraw' The Shaw Trust specialises in setting up agreed to fund the two-year appointment of a and managing Sheltered Industrial Groups. full-time development officer for the Shaw A host firm employs disabled people, but Trust, to work in Berkshire promoting Shel pays them only for the level of productivity tered Industrial Groups and other place alytic role works. The project team goes out they achieve. The trust tops up the wage paid ments for disabled people. into the community, meeting people and by the firm to the level that would be paid to Paddy Waring is full of praise for the speed organisations. As Paddy Waring says, ' If we able-bodied employees, and takes care of all of the Berkshire bureaucracy. He has a pro see any relevance at all to disabled people in the administration. fessional interest in how organisations work. what an organisation is doing, we try to make Setting up and managing the scheme is a This is an example, which shows that, if you connections. There's a whole network ofcon fairly specialised activity-employer and em have a small team within the structure with a nections. We can then help to arrange meet ployee have to be carefully matched, approval co-operative and non-threatening function, ings between people. We act as a catalyst, and has to be sought from the Manpower Services you can permeate the walls of the system - then we withdraw. There really is no way we Commission, and sensitive support pro with diplomacy, he says. 'But the will has to could get involved in the management side vided. But the pay-offs for disabled people be there. And Berkshire County Council had with a team of three that's just not possible.' can be substantial. the will to do it.' The network of local connections provides So when Paddy Waring heard about the The arrangement with the Shaw Trust is some of the raw material for the project's re Trust, he set about making connections. He also a good example of how the project's cat- search function. Research is needed to im- 4 EUROPE SS
prove transport for disabled people to public buildings and private homes, and to identify where community facilities should be located - important considerations in helping dis abled people lO integrate socially. Also, li.nks with the European network of project teams will provide the opportunity to share and learn throughout the whole Community. Paddy Waring brings to the leadership of Interface a blend of skills, experience and personal qualities that make him, perhaps, uniquely well-qualified for his role. Until 1976, he had lived an active and exciting life first in the Royal Navy, where he served as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, flying front-line aircraft until1966; and later flying civil air craft in Zambia, East Africa and the Middle East. Fatalists might say that he used up all his luck when, in 1965, still with the Navy, the plane he was flying fell out ofthe sky, his ejec tor seat failed to work, and he climbed out and walked away from the crash. In 1976, Making it happen: training supervisor while in the Middle East, for no apparent Nick Hme {above) and project leader reason he lost the power of his legs. He has Paddy Waring, who is himself disabled. not walked since. On his return home, he underwent a year of intensive rehabilitation; and in 1978 he began to re-make his li.fe. lfhe Interface proied has taken a quarter of the YTS places available, to train disabled students'
In the Navy he had always been interested in how organisations work. So he decided to study management, first at Brighton Polytechnic, then at Cranfield, where he took an MSc and began work on a PhD. His stu dies came to an abrupt end when the orga nisation be was studying folded. But by then he had built up a lot of expertise, which he turned to practical use with lecturing and consultancy. It was when he began looking for a regular job that his beliefin the value of his own abili ties began to be shaken. He recalls: 'I thought I had done enough to make the wheelchair in significant. Within a matter of weeks, it was very clear to me that my disability was in the way. When I first realised that ifl was having a hard time, what about the others? - I got a very nasty social conscience about it. • When he applied, and was accepted, for the job with Interface, it was an opportunity to combine his personal experience of what it is like to be disabled in an able-bodied world with his research and management skills. The job is a learning experience for him, too. He has learned about the many kinds of disability that do not immediately attract public sympathy because they are invisible. 'The heroic figures are easy examples,' he says. 'The mentally ill, the frail personality it's here that support is needed, too. Support, and the understanding of the able-bodied in the community.' [I Interface trains disabled students in a wide range of electronic office skills. s EUROPE SS 'We shall be saying No to scepticism, No to defeatism, and No to all excuses' JACQUES DELORS, in his inaugural Community is to become credible to all its address to the European Parliament as citizens, and sets a target for the President of the Commission, spells out European Commission, the Parliament, the issues that must still be faced if the and all ten national governments to aim at
THE MEMBERS of this House have always been among the most ac ability to live together and combine their creative strength. There tive in our endeavours to make the Community a People's Europe. seemed to be decline in their contribution to progress and to the Now that the Heads of State or Government have decided to clear civilisation which they themselves had created ... ' away all obstacles to free movement, whether hidden or visible, it Those who look on the bright side will tell me that the worst has may not be over-optimistic to announce a decision to eliminate all been avoided: the problems of indebtedness have been resolved frontiers within Europe by 1992-and to implement it. That gives one by one; international trade has picked up once more. But the us eight years, the term of office of two Commissions. We, for our sickness has not been cured, nor the danger removed. I do not part, are prepared to work towards that goal. claim to have all the answers. I am simply asking the central ques The Council and Parliament have approved the programme for tion: are the member states agreed on their diagnosis of the major consolidation of the internal market presented by the outgoing problems of the world economy? Are they capable, once they have Commission. It must be put into effect as quickly as possible. It is ascertained what their differences are, and have gone some way to up to us to do it, and make our proposals for the next stage. This, I wards overcoming them, of working out a set of proposals which believe, will meet a vital concern of yours. We would both like to are acceptable to all and likely to improve its operation? That is the see the people of Europe, your electors, enjoying the daily experi most important question Europe has to answer. ence of a tangible Europe, a real Community where travel, com We must likewise show by the quality of our proposals, and the munication and trade are possible without any hindrance, by the exemplary nature of our actions, that efficiency and justice can go end of this Parliament in 1988. If we can achieve this, the 1989 together and that the emerging countries must be treated on European elections will mark a renewal, the birth of effective equal terms. It will then be up to them to show that they can make a citizenship, a renaissance of democracy. But pulling down the frontiers will not convince people of our 'Europe must find its imagination resolve to do away with massive unemployment. Here, too, the credibility of the European venture is at stake, at both national and again, and return to the attack. Community level: at national level, since nothing will absolve us Tl1ose who have nothing to from the need to re-forge competitive structures and rediscover the propose are soon forgotten' path to economic growth; and at Community level, since it is the Community which must act as the multiplier of national efforts. Economic convergence will be meaningless to people if we have positive contribution to the development of the world economy. not reversed the terrible rise ofunemployment within the next two - This is the significance of- Lome Ill, which is an example of con years. That depends on us, on our strength and ability to adapt our tinuity on the part of the Community and should encourage us to structures and stimulate an economic upturn at the same time. pursue our efforts to establish a fairer, more efficient economic The aspiration is for a cultural Europe. But culture as a living ex order. perience also means enabling everyone to develop in a society in Europe must find its imagination again, and return to the attack. which he has a say, and in an environment, man-made or natural, Those who have nothing to propose are soon forgotten or held in which favours human development. That is why we are being cal contempt. Those who lack the means to match their ambitions are led upon to combat so many different ills, to improve working con rapidly reduced to tagging along behind, or engaging in slanging ditions, to redesign our cities and rethink our ways ofliving, to pre matches. serve the irreplaceable revitalising force of nature. Many of these In its four years in office, the Commission proposes to take deci- things are concerns of environment policy; and here the Commun sive steps in three directions: a large market and industrial coop ity must set an example by realistic action, stimulating and crown eration; the strengthening of the European Monetary System; the ing the creative effort, encouraging and disseminating innovation, convergence of our economies to lead to higher growth and more in order to create the basis for the renewal that is needed. jobs. That is where the great European dream lies, rooted in a history We have to do this, if we are to exist in a world where large en· of creative effort in the service of mankind. We must nurture this tities dominate and where toughness is the principal characteristic of all kinds of relations. We have to start without delay. I must in· IJhe great European dream is sist on this. In taking this action, we shall be saying 'no' to sceptic ism, 'no' to defeatism, and 'no' to all excuses, no matter how clearl~ rooted in a histo~ of creative presented for public opinion. European affairs often give the im effort in the service of pression of being a contest between member states, instead of pre mankind' senting the picture of a united team. There can be no fair and healthy competition without a harmo nisation of rules. Remember that competition can kill competi dream on our ideals and our achievements. Jean Monnet's com tion, if the market does not permit fair contest between the differ ment on the beginnings of the Community remains remarkably apt ent rivals. Hence the need to ensure, as happens in many of th today: 'The beginning of Europe was a political conception, but, member states, that national measures do not lead to unbalance even more, it was a moral idea. Europeans had gradually lost the competition. I would point out that this did not escape the author
6 EUROPE SS of the Treaty of Rome, as Article I 02 shows. The Commission will make use of this Article. But Europe will not modernise its production structures just be cause a large market exists. The search for the larger scale will re quire the promotion for cooperation between European firms, the creation of a suitable framework, tax concessions to encourage business cooperation, and financial incentives at Community level, instead of the costly and ineffective escalation of national aids and incentives. People tend to forget that one of the factors which has helped to start the harmonisation process is the European Monetary System. The EMS, by effectively stopping monetary dumping, has helped increase intra-Community trade. But that is not enough. There should be no social dumping either. Here too we must try to harmo nise the rules. Otherwise, what will happen? What are we already witnessing- member states and firms trying to gain an advantage over their competitors, at the cost of what can only be described as social decline? In the major areas covered by employment and labour market policies, our success will depend on two conditions being met: re- Pfhe EMS has effectively stopl;led monetary dumping. But that 1s not enough. There should be no social dumping, either' forms must be negotiated by the two sides of industry; in other words, collective bargaining must remain one of the cornerstones of our economy; and efforts must be made to secure some harmo nisation at Community level. That is why I insist on this import ance of human resources, for the knowledge and skills which they contribute. Our policies on education and training must help everyone to a better understanding of the way the world is going, and enable everyone to make the best use of his or her talents and personal resources. Is it possible to make progress here while dismantling what has been done in other fields? This, frankly, is the question which needs to be asked about the common agricultural policy. National expenditure on agriculture, excluding social security, now amounts to SO per cent of Community spending. It is time to stop After delivering his address, the Commission's new drifting and recall the three key principles of the Treaty: a unified President was given on overwhelming vote of confidence by market, financial solidarity, and Community preference-and add the European Parliament: 207 to 34, with 37 abstentions. the common commercial policy. These principles provide the framework for continuing the efforts to modernise the common agricultural policy, and to determine the prospects for European agriculture. Farmers, too, need fresh reasons for hope and belief in tion to the preparation of dossiers, inter-institutional conciliation, their economic and social function. and decision-making, or rather the absence of decision-making. The job of the Community is to sustain those activities which are What is happening, in point offact , is that each institution is giving essential to meet needs, and maintain human and natural balances. vent to its own frustration, by passing the buck to the others. It intends to remain a leading agricultural power: this is essential Many proposals have been made for remedying this situation. for its autonomy, the strength of its trading position, and its poli The Commission undertakes to explore all the possibilities offered tical standing. by the existing framework- the framework provided by the Treaty But as soon as we start discussing how to achieve our aims -let's of Rome, modulated by agreements or non-agreements. It will face it-the difficulties start. My visits to the ten member states as make full use of its right of initiative to accomplish the priority President-designate confirmed my suspicions on this score. Every tasks I have outlined. It will not hesitate to withdraw a proposal if it where I went, questions were raised about the operation of the in considers that its content has been too watered down, or ifit notes a stitutions. Everyone realises that we cannot go on living in a para refusal, express or implied, to debate it. Parliament will be fully in lysing state of confusion. It is true that we have managed to settle volved in this experiment, which will serve to test the will of the family feuds. But beyond that, let us be frank; the Community is member states and the viability of our rules and institutional prac no longer capable of taking decisions. The Community is no longer tices. progressing. The Commission, too, has its back to the wall. It must find Unfortunately, the only thing we are agreed on is its impotence. realistic ways of achieving its objectives. It must introduce an ele As soon as we begin to consider ways of curing it, opinions differ, ment of simplicity into its proposals. It must act in permanent con to say the least. Here, too, there is a need for clarification; and the sultation with the other two institutions. But the Commission will Commission has every intention of helping. not waver in its commitment, or compromise the content of its It is essential that we get out of the rut ofexisting practice in rela- proposals at the outset. [I
7 EUROPE SS Why Europe f/''!Ht1!1 ... /N1ef(~S1!AIC, 'POVt(IJel is awash in .. 'Rt'"'POlet./7 (Jf YlfG1et(IAL ) L/ft£ undrinkable /ttv'{) /Aibl/511<1/-fL ~£ . w1ne• Guaranteed prices for the Community's wine-growers are encouraging mass production ofinferior wines that Europeans refuse to buy. With Spain and Portugal now looking forward to joining the Ten, the outlook for the wine industry is cloudy
espite the reduction of areas planted the narrower for the fact that external factors low-price wines (at 60 per cent of the guide with vines - by 150,000 hectares in can play only a minor part in the solution. line price) in the event that the voluntary and the past decade - Community wine Exports to countries outside the Commun preventive distillation scheme (at 65 per cent production has remained relatively ity are comparatively modest (8.6 million his of the guideline price) seemed to be ineffec Dstable over the past few years: 164 million in 1982/1983). These comprise mainly quali tive. The object was to remove excess produc hectolitres in 1980 and 162 million in 1983. ty wines, which are not the real problem tion from the market, in order to ensure West Germany, it is true, has tripled its and which are sold mainly to the A!llerican remunerative prices to the growers. production in this period - 13 million hecto market. However, since the second campaign for litres in 1983, against 4.8 million in 1980. But So the pressure exerted by the US produc the application of the new ruling, in 1983/84, West German production is still far short of ers on Washington to restrict European im the common wine market has gone off the the Italian figures - 80 million hectolitres - ports represents a decided threat to the main rails yet again. Consider the facts: I ,000 mil and France's 70 million. Greece brings up the outlet for Community wines. Furthermore, it lion ECUs (about 7,000 million francs, or rear with 5 million hectolitres. must not be forgotten that Europe imports £6 10 million) in support costs, as against the Independently of climatic conditions, about S million his per year, in accordance 600 million ECUs forecast; 30 million his which play their part, one way or another, · with co-operative agreements with other taken to the stills under the preventive according to the year (1984's wine harvest is countries around the Mediterranean basin. scheme for distillation (at 65 per cent of the estimated at 20 per cent higher than that of T he principal sales of the EEC producers guideline prices) as against 20 million in the 1983), the main reason for the maintenance of are therefore in the markets oftheir European previous year. excess production is the growth in yield. The partners. T he internal wine market of the How can this gross miscalculation be ex statistics of increased yields in the main pro Community runs at about 20 million his. This plained? ducing countries are significant. In the space points up the prime importance of good orga The device, set up in 1982, was based on a of a few years they have gone up from 102 to nisation in inter-Community exchanges, if 'budget forecast' drawn up by each member 181 his per hectare in West Germany; from 58 new problems on the scale of, say, the state in November, the beginning of the viti to 75 in France; from 64 to 66 in Italy; from 39 Franco-Italian 'wine war' in 1981 are to be vinicultural year be.ing set at lst September. to 48 in Greece. avoided. Basing itself on the estimates coming from This tendency will probably cease, ifnot go Faced with the gravity of the events of that the national administrations, the European into reverse, for rwo reasons. On one hand, summer, the European authorities effected Commission made an appreciation of how the consumption of wine is widely on the de an initial reform of the market in March market for wine products would develop crease in the Community, especially in 1982. through the year. France and Italy. On the other, the European It was agreed that the European Commis The figures given to Brussels in November wine-drinker is turning away from the sion, depending upon the state of the market, on the harvest, and voluntary distillation mediocre wines towards those of better quali could impose obligatory distillation of the plans, led the Commission to decide against ty. In certain regions, production is conse the plan for compulsory distillation. In the quently being sent direct from the vats to the 1 Principal sales of the event, however, the budget forecasts ofsever distillery. al member states (Italy and West Germany in Production which will take off, if not EEC wine producers particular) proved to be false: actual produc checked; reduced consumption in favour of are in the markets of tion was well in excess of the amounts ofwine the better wines; an assured income for the their European declared. growers; free market movement between the 1 In fact, many vine-growers, for whom· the Ten - these are aspects of the equation which partners distillation price at 65 per cent of guideline the Community has to solve. T he margin is all prices was still remunerative, exploited this 8 ... EUROPE Ss· possibility up to the hilt. This included the 1 Spain already has tion: 11 million hls were distilled or kept off West German growers of good-quality wines, the market in 1983. Of 6 million hls sold for commensurately better compensated, who excess produdion: export, 32 per cent came to the EEC, the prin 'preventively' distilled 2.5 million hls in 11 million hedolitres cipal buyers being the UK, Holland, and 1984, as against only 385,000 in 1983. were kept off the West Germany, in that order. The large-scale recourse to distillation has 1 What will happen to yields, and therefore still not been sufficient to firm-up market market1n 1983 to production, in Spain when the Community prices. Faced with very low rates (from 70 to ,prices and guarantees are offered there? This 74 per cent of guideline prices), France re 'quantity control'. According to the Euro is the main anxiety for the European author quested the advantage of a distillation sup pean authorities, this is a matter of directing ities. It will be a long time before it is possible port price at a very profitable rate (91 per cent high-yield production straight to the distiller to manipulate the yields. It will take some of guideline prices) for a quantity of S million ies. The price paid to the producers should, time· before the Iberian vine-growers reach his. But the European Commission empha in that case, be much lower than that at pre the present level of yields in the Community. sised that, in addition to budgetary consid sent being offered, at between 33 and SO per This does not mean that Spanish production erations, and in accordance with the rules in cent of the guideline prices, depending upon has not every chance, at some time in the fu force, it was not possible to offer this facility the yield. ture, of making a great leap forward, which except in the case of obligatory distillation at This is the uncertain future faced by the could prove disastrous for the common wine the beginning of the year. enlargement of the Community. The real dif market. Following this new set-back in the opera ficulty is Spain. With a total area of 1. 7 mil The reforms being drawn up, and the tion of the common wine market, the ques lion hectares, the Spanish vineyards repre agreements that have just been reached with tion of a second reform arises. Beyond sent 65 per cent of the vine-growing area of the Commission, take into consideration the attempting to ensure that the 'budget fore the present ten member states. The low yield specific character of the Iberian situation. casts' stay closer to reality, there remains the per hectare (30 his per hectare, against an There are ideas of restricting replantation basic problem which has to be solved: how to average 75 in the EEC) explains Spain's com rights, not only in Spain but also in the ex prevent production of the poor-quality wines paratively modest production: less than 40 isting Ten. which are mainly responsible for the excess. million hls, of which 70 per cent are ordinary Will this be enough? It is not unreasonable The Commission, and the majority of table wines. to entertain some doubts. member states, are now moving towards Even so, Spain already has excess produc- MARCELSCOTIO ... and why it's 1Cheers' to Ariane
t 1332 hours and 54 seconds GMT Since putting two The French originally established a laun on 4 August 1984, the first model of communication satellites ching pad there for their former Diamant version number 3 of the European rockets. Enormous construction works were Arocket, Ariane, rose from its plat into orbit last August, undertaken in the inhospitable jungle, to form at Kourou, French Guyana. Europe's own rocket build a first, a second, and then a third launch The launch was a complete success - two pad suitable for the European rocket, geostationary communication satellites were system has begun to together with all the subsidiary installations. placed into provisional orbit. A few weeks la show economic returns The tropical climate presents great incon ter they were in full operation. And twenty venience, but Kourou is an ideal site for laun years of technical failures and disappoint ching satellites. In putting a geostationary ments were over. with the relative participation of the govern satellite into orbit there are great advantages The European nations were, fortunately, ments involved: manufacturers in each coun in being as close as possible to the Equator. able to draw lessons from those earlier set try receive orders in relation to the percentage Kourou is almost exactly on the Equator. backs. On 31 July 1973, the Ten met at a of finance which it has guaranteed. West Ger Cape Kennedy, on the other hand, is north of European space conference in Brussels and many and France make the biggest contribu the Tropic of Cancer, so that, for an equiva signed an agreement which gave birth to the tions. Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Holland, lent satellite launch, the Americans have to Ariane project. Italy, UK, Sweden and Switzerland all take use a launching vehicle which is 30 per cent Very precise specifications were drawn up, part. more powerful. together with a sharing-out of responsibili Know-how gained in this way is expected Apart from military applications, detec ties. The launch vehicle was conceived as an to fertilise European industry as a whole, tion of the earth's natural resources, overall whole, not as a collection of disparate with fruitful results. meteorology, and scientific uses, space today parts. Ariane's promoters realised that there was is essentially for telecommunications. Last The destiny of the rocket was placed in the not much point in limiting themselves to August, Ariane put into orbit two very simi hands of a transnational director of opera building just one successful rocket: they had lar satellites- the French Telecom I and the tions, personally overseeing the whole pro to think in terms of an on-going family of European ECS2. Since then, France has been ject: Hubert Curien, head of the French rockets. From the basic starting point, there saving at an estimated rate of$3 million a year National Centre for Space Studies (CNESF). fore, they have decided to go forward. Ariane on communications costs between its depart He is now Minister for Scientific Research in I, Ariane 2, and Ariane 3 have already been ments and territories overseas. the French Government. successfully launched. Ariane 4 and S are on Europe's next enterprise in space will be a The Ariane project is a monument, of a the drawing board. mini-shuttle to replace the third stage of sort, to Europe's technological civilisation. It is impossible to speak of Ariane without Ariane, to be called Hermes. Plans for a Ten participating countries, with dozens of mentioning Kourou, the European Space European vessel capable of returning to earth major manufacturers and hundreds of ancil Centre site, located on the fringes of the Ama under its own power are well advanced. All lary suppliers, are involved. zon forest, in French Guyana. Guyana is, in ways round, Europe looks set to become a Orders for equipment are roughly in line fact, a department of France. power in space, in its own right. t1 9 EUROPE SS
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I I I I I
Danger: deadly cargoes on the move
he importance of clear information The drama of the Mont context that the Commission can give teeth to nd safety precautions when dealing existing international conventions and agree ith the transport of dangerous and tox Louis, carrying a potentially ments. l IC substances and waste has been high toxic cargo, has raised fears There are about 10 different international lighted by the collision last August, in a conventions and European agreements gov busy shipping lane off the Belgian coast, in that the rules governing eming the transport of dangerous goods. volving the French freighter Mont Louis, transportation of nuclear Most important, however, is that they have laden with uranium hexafluoride. material are not working. not all been ratified by all participating states. The questions now being asked about that Neither Greece nor Ireland, for example, has incident follow those raised by the mysterious ANNA LUBINSKA reports ratified the agreements covering transport of disappearance of 41 drums of dioxin dangerous goods by road (ADR) or rail (RID). contaminated soil from the si te of the tri Air-transport rules(ICAO)arestricter, and sea chlorophenol reactor explosion in Sevcso, contents from the marine environment and transport still remains unresolved. Italy, in 1976. With a Little help from Green vice versa. The drums containing the Seveso A convention proposed by the Internation peace, they were discovered in a warehouse in wastes were tightly sealed. al Maritime Organisation (L\iO) on the trans St Quentin, France, in March 1983. Anum In proportion to the volume of dangerous portation of dangerous goods (including ber of European companies were involved in and toxic substances which are moved in the radioactive material), which would reinforce the shipment, but it took several months for European Community countries every year, current labelling and packaging require the details to surface. accidents during transportation are relatively ments, has floundered because signatory As industry is quick to point out, neither of few. Someareduetochance,somecan be put states could not agree. these incidents took lives. This is true. The down to the traffic. But some are also due to None of these agreements is mandatory. 16-millirneter steel casings containing the negligence, inadequate labelling and Also, states tend to apply stricter rules with 'hex', aboard the Mont Louis, which serve to carelessness, which, even if unintentional, regard to dangerous cargo transportation heat it up in order to release it, protected the can have serious consequences. It is in this within their own borders. Directives adopted 10 EUROPE SS
Opposite: the accident to the French Pfherearesome 10 freighter Mont Louis, with its toxic cargo, different agreements in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes; follows the notorious Seveso governing the disaster in Italy (below) four years ago. transport of dangerous goods but not all have been ratified by participating states' COittwt " ~ISEVE$<) by the Council of Ministers are, on the other . ZONA hand, binding on member states. Breaches of these laws can lead to cases before the Euro llfFESTA TA pean Court of Justice. In the case of transport _...__Clt of dangerous substances, the Commission is _...... in the process of setting up a task force made up of environment and, for the first time, - ..... transport officials. They will examine the -- possible need for the EEC to accede as a single .DIVIETo 10CCAAeo~ body to these conventions and, by introduc OfiTOFRUTTICOLL I'AOoorn ing Community legislation, enforce them CONTATTI EVITANO() among the 10 member states. TERRA E ERsEc: :::::.ZOE. A far more immediate problem, however, ·-..u.~' has been posed by the fact that the trans frontier shipment of dangerous and toxic wastes has not been covered by these interna tional conventions, nor by EEC rules adopted in 1978. The 1978directivesoughttomonitor and control the storage and disposal of certain toxic and dangerous wastes. It made no allow ance, however, for transport of such wastes across Community borders, because this activity only became apparent in later years, as the volume of special wastes grew, requir ing more landfill, dumping at sea or special incinerators. Not all member states are in a postion to deal with particularly dangerous or toxic wastes. Greece, Luxembourg and Denmark, for example, are too small and cannot afford to build special disposal facilities. The Netherlands bans Iandfills because of the country's high water table. The solution is to export the wastes to specialised facilities such as the 100 or so that exist in the Federal Re public of Germany, or even beyond the Com munity to the German Democratic Republic, or sneaking across borders. As yet unsettled, this question will form where cheaper disposal plants attract clients. In June 1984, Environment Ministers the object of a Green Paper by the Commit Of the 30 million metric tons of toxic waste adopted rules to control the cross-border tee. Some experts believe that such a system, produced annually in the Community, 3 miJ. transport of dangerous and toxic wastes. together with an efficient back-up system of lion tons cross borders, of which 300,000- These oblige the shipper to produce evidence insurance and re-insurance (which the EEC 500,000 tons alone go to the German Demo that a suitable waste facility awaits the ship already applies in the nuclear field), is the cratic Republic. ment and that the receiving country has been only way to guarantee speedy compensation During a European Parliament inquiry notified and does not contest. They also in and a high level of security. which fo!Jowed the Seveso dioxin hunt, it be clude labelling and packaging criteria, as well Recent events have prompted the member came clear that not all of the Ten had applied as environmental risk potential. Because of states to push through controls on the cross the 1978 directive. Among the worst offen the increased volume of wastes treated out border transport of wastes. Following the ders were France, Belgium, Italy and Greece. side the Community, the directive also ap Mont Louis accident, Commissioner Kari The Netherlands and the Federal Republic of plies to non-EEC coumries accepting danger Heinz Narjes suggested the possibility of Germany (which is the only member state to ous and toxic wastes. EEC rules which would limit the sea trans impose a system of permits for the movement The Commission's directive was welcomed port of dangerous goods to a certain number of dangerous and toxic wastes) scored well by the chemical industry for which harmo of ports and tighten up controls on loading legally, although illegal dumps were unco nised accompanying documents will reduce operations. vered all over the Community. . delays. But industry is not so happy about the The scope, again, would include third But not all countries had monitored dumps principle of 'producer liability' which the countries. But getting member states to - which made things all the more easy for Commission has suggested for such ship accept a regulation in a field in which they dis midnight movers dumping wastes nationally ments. pute its competence is not going to be easy. 01 11 EUROPE SS '"'*' I The tight is on to create more jobs in Wales
n just 24 months, Neath Development ROY STEMMAN reports months, selling it to garden centres to help Partnership, a non-profit-making Welsh from Neath, where a finance the scheme. Already a mile ofthe can enterprise, has created over 900 jobs in al has been cleared and profiled; Howell Brit ISouth Wales. It has done so with the help package of training schemes ton says proudly that he believes the team is of European Social Fund aid which reached it is in operation to benefit working as fast as would civil managers. through the Manpower Services Commis Those employed on the restoration work sion. whole communities were all recruited from Job Centres, and are The NDP was founded in 1981, with the mostly ex-miners or aluminium workers. express purpoSe of putting unemployed peo enabling local people to gain qualifications Under the Community Programme they can ple back to work. But it is only in the last two that could help them find employment in the work on the project for only one year; but, as years that it has been able to tackle the prob future. The visitors saw a clerical advance well as benefiting the community at large, lem actively. ment session in progress, and the first re they are also able to acquire new skills which The the results have been remarkable. The sidential course - for caterers - starts in the could help them find employment when their Diost up-to-date tally puts the new jobs at 938 superbly equipped kitchen around March work at Neath comes to an end. Howell Brit -.and that number could more than double in 1985. Itisalsothe base for PelennaForestEn ton told the visitors he expects a quarter of the the next two years, if other schemes in the terprises, another non-profit business which men to get work at the end of the programme. pipeline are equally successful. makes and sells products, creating jobs in the From theirvantagepointon the bridge, the In December I joined a group of 'visitors process. Councillor Britton expects it to grow visitors were able to see some of the excava who had travelled to South Wales specially into a substantial company over the years. tion work that has revealed unexpected in for a two-day tour of projects that are being Underprivileged children will also benefit sights into the way the canal was used. When aided by European grants. Dr Wolfgang from the creation of Pelenna-it is soon to be the three-mile stretch is finished, one of the Stabenow, German-bom head of the Euro used as a type of Outward Bound centre. first vessels to use it will be the Rainbow Boat, pean Social Fund, led the party, but had to re Meanwhile, the NDP is looking for other a 55ft longboat which has been converted, as turn urgently to Brussels at the end ofthe first job-creating opportunities in the area, one part ofan MSC training scheme in association day. His principal administrator, Reuben possibility being the restoration of the first with British Shipbuilders, into a vessel for Betts, continued with the tour, seeing for Methodist chapel in Wales, the ruin of which use by handicapped children. It is equipped himself two of the Neath schemes that have stands about 100 yards from the centre. with lifts and berths and will be making regu made such animpacton the local community. From Pontrhydyfen the visitors were lar trips up and down the canal. The first was ':Pelenna Forest Mountain taken to see another job-creating project, in Neath hopes its development of a leisure Interpretive Centre, West Glamorgan, an the Vale ofNeath, where the NDP and Neath canal will change the type of tourist it impressive stone building in beautiful sur attracts. For years it has been catering to the roundings. As the cars carrying the visitors 'four-hour tourist', who stops to look around made the gradual climb to Pontrhydyfen, 'Jobless ~art-timers but passes on to somewhere with more attrac near Port Talbot, they passed the house are rapidly turning tions. When the Resolven Canal is ship where actor Richard Burton was born. A por the canal6ack to its worthy, and when other developments are trait of him now hangs in the mountain cen ready, Neath hopes, at the very least, to see tre, soon to be joined by books from his vast former use' many one-day tourists- and, in the not-too collection. These gifts from his family are "W' y tl distant future, to persuade them to stay for a their way of showing they believe in what the couple of days or more. centre is doing. Borough Council are working together. A £17 It was now late morning, and their tight Pelenna, which cost £150,000 to build, will million inner urban development scheme has schedule required the visitors to head for be many things to many people. It is used by been launched at Neath, about 10 miles from Blaenau Gwent Opportunities, Tafar the general public, a thriving centre of activ Swansea, with the intention of attracting pri naubach, Tredegar, where an excellent lunch ity in an area that was severely affected by col vate investment to the area. An integrated was about to be served by youngsters taking a liery closures in 1957. 'Between that time and tourist concept plays an important part in the catering course in the training workshop. 1984 only five new jobs occurred in the area,' scheme and a three-mile section of the Resol The centre was established in 1976 as an says Councillor Howell Britton, the NDP's ven Canal, which goes through the heart of annexe to a skills centre, at a time when un director. 'We have created .1 0 jobs in one year the town, is being renovated as a Community employment in the area was running at 12 per and hopefully we will make another 20 in Programme Project. cent. By 1981, when the Government decided 1985.' It is half a century since the last ore and to close all skill centre annexes, the jobless Unemployed people were used, at the very mineral boats used the Resolven. Since then total had climbed to 21 per cent around outset, to build the 24-bed residential centre it has become heavily silted and unnavigable Tredegar. Mter an unsuccessful fight by local under the MSC's Community Programme. for long distances. The visitors' cars stopped MPs and Blaenau Gwent Borough Council to Since it was completed it has provided perma near a small bridge across the canal, where keep it open, the council decided to buy it and nent jobs for a number of long-term unem the road from the town meets the main Swan create an Opportunities Centre which opened ployed .. including Emrys Davies, who was sea to Merthyr Tydfil route. At this point, un inApril1983. technical supervisor on the building project, til recently, the canal was non-existent: it was It runs two Youth Training Scheme pro and has stayed on to assist the centre's activi completely silted up, and the neglected area jects-the training workshop and an informa ties. Two redundant ex-employees from Met had become an eyesore. tion technology centre-which receive Euro al Box Company, Ken George and Gerald A team of 68 unemployed part-time pean money through the MSC. There is also a Sampson, are also among those who have left helpers, each working a three-day week, are series of courses for adults under the MSC's the dole queue as a result of the venture. rapidly returning the canal to its former use. Training Opportunities Programme Pelenna training courses are already They have removed 3,000 tons of silt in three (TOPS). In addition, the centre is making 12 Pfhe Gulf states are drawing up a common customs tariff'
dustrial base. The value of the GCC's non-oil exports to the EEC increased from 1,010 million ECUs in 1982 to 1,364 million in 1983. The figures for 1984 are expected to show a much more marked growth. Large volumes of Middle East polyethylenes will soon begin pouring into Europe. The region's petrochemic al manufacturers have only relatively recently begun to take advantage of cheap ethane and methane gas feed stock - a by-product of oil refining - which was previously flared. EEC and GCC officials are now dis The Community forges new cussing how these products can best be accommodated in Europe without dis rupting the market or depressing links in the Gulf prices. Similar discussions are envis aged on the question of access for re fined oil products from the Gulf. Until last October's cooperation agreement with North If there has been no formal EEC Yemen, the Arabian Gulfwas the only region in the world, GCC agreement, the two or~tions apart from the communist bloc, where the European have been in regular contact with each Community had no contractual links. other. Indeed the GCC secretariat has gratefully accepted EEC Commission offers of assistance on the running of a The irony of this situation is that, GERALD BOURKE regional economy while the Gulf states taken together, the six members of the are now in the process of drawing up a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - reports on moves towards common customs tariff similar to that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United extending the EEC's trade used by the Community. Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar The EEC has also been eo-financing -are the Community's biggest trading with the Arab World development projects with Gulf-based partner. They supply most of its oil and Arab funds for the past decade. Sub absorb more industrial and consumer ing for a regional agreement similar to Saharan Africa has been the focus of goods from it than they do from any those reached with Asean and Andean much of the funding. Along with other where else. pact countries. bilateral and multilateral donors, the EEC governments have long been Until recently, this new approach EEC and seven Arab Funds have com keen to institutionalise their relations had not yielded very satisfactory re mitted money to more than 40 schemes with the Gulf states, and this aim is sults. However, the rapid indus costed in excess of $5,000 million. now closer than ever to being realised, trialisation of the Gulf, on the back of Although the down-turn in the oil mar EEC and GCC officials recently discus its oil wealth, has given rise to certain ket has reduced the resources avail sed for the first time the possibility of a differences of opinion between the two able, co-operation in this area should region-to-region cooperation agree blocs on trade questions. increase, following the signing in De ment, and further exploratory talks Last June, the Conm:rlssion imposed cember of a five-year trade pact be are planned. a 13.5 per cent tariffon imports into the tween the EEC and 64 African, Carib In 1980, the Ten's Foreign Ministers EEC of Saudi Arabian methanol, after bean and Pacific countries. instructed the European Commission the kingdom had exceeded its duty-free The Ten have also been actively in to examine the possibility of conclud GSP ceiling. The application of the volved in the search for peace in the ing non-preferential trade agreements tariff was automatic, as it had been re Middle East. Of particular importance with individual countries on the Ara quested by an EEC government. But it in this respect was the June 1980 bian· peninsula:. The responses to the provoked concerned reactions from Venice Declaration by Community Commission's subsequent overtures governments in the Gulf who have heads of government. Their initiative were by and large lukewarm, as these been investing heavily in sophisticated broke new ground by acknowledging countries already enjoyed duty-free petrochemicals complexes. the right of the Palestinian people to access to EEC markets for their agri An economic and commercial coop self-determination, and calling for the cultural and industrial productS. eration agreement is seen by both sides association of the Palestine Liberation The outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war as the ideal framework for resolving Organisation (PLO) with any attempt ended contacts, as the EEC did not trade disputes and defusing potential at peaceful reconciliation between want to be seen favouring either side in conflicts. Israel and Arab states. It also main the conflict. When the GCC was set up The need for such an agreement be tained that any settlement terms inJune 1981; theEEC'sForeignMinis comes increasingly imperative as the should recognise the right ofall peoples ters opted to try again, this time aim- Gulfstates continue to expand their in- · to live within secure borders.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1985 (i) EUROFORUM
assumes responsibility for the internal market, customs, tax and financial in Meet the new Commissioners stitutions.
The new President of the Commission on institutional questions, 'Citizens The second British Commissioner is is Jacques Delors, the former Fi Europe' (issues like the European pass Stanley Clinton Davis, 56, a junior nance Minister in the Socialist govern port), information, culture and tour minister in the 1974-1979 Labour gov ment of President Fran~is Mitter ism. He is a former journalist and ernment and former opposition spokes rand. Delors, 59, was the architect of Socialist member ofthe European Par man on trade, prices and consumer pro the 1983 austerity programme in liament. tection. His responsibilities include the France and is a former trade union of The Federal Republic of Germany's environment, consumer protection, ficial. He is responsible for general nuclear safety, forests and transport. administration, monetary affairs and Karl-Heinz Narjes, 60, who formerly coordination of the Commission's held the environment and internal structural funds. market portfolios, has seen the Com Belgium's new Commissioner is munity develop since the early Sixties, Willy de Clercq, formerly the coun The second French Commissioner is when he was variously an aide to for try's deputy Prime Minister, Finance Claude Cheysson, M. Mitterrand's mer Commission President Waiter and Trade Minister. He assumes re former Foreign Minister. He is re Hallstein, Director-General for In sponsibility for external affairs, in sponsible for the Community's formation, and a Christian Democrat cluding trade negotiations with the US Mediterranean policy and North member ofthe German Bundestag. His and Japan. Aged 57, he is a former pro South relations. Aged 64, from 1973 to new job covers industrial affairs, in fessor oflaw. 1981 he played a key role in shaping formation technology and scientific re Europe's relations with the Third search. World, when he held the Commission's The Netherlands has renominated development portfolio. The second German Commissioner Frans Andriessen, who formerly held is Alois Pfeiffer, a former trade union the competition portfolio. A 55-year Italy's senior Commissioner, Loren· official, who takes on economic affairs, old former Christian Democrat Fi zo Natali, also brings a wealth of ex employment, credit and investment nance Minister, he takes on perhaps perience to the job. A 62-year-old for and the statistical office. Aged 60, he is the toughest slot at the Commission - mer Italian Christian Democrat Tour a former member ofthe executive ofthe agriculture and fisheries. ism and Public Works Minister and German Trade Union Federation, with lawyer, he has held successive appoint special responsibility for economic ments in Brussels since 1977. He now policy. The new Danish Commissioner is takes on responsibility for develop former Deputy Prime Minister and Fi ment, whilst continuing his job of over Britain's senior Commissioner is nance Minister Henning Chris seeing Spain and Portugal's entry Lord Cockfield, a 68-year-old eco tophersen. A 45-year-old former jour negotiations. nomist who has held ministerial posts nalist and chairman of the Danish in Mrs Thatcher's government, at the Liberal party, he is responsible for the The second Italian Commissioner is Treasury, and the Department of budget, financial control and person di Carlo Ripa Meana, 55, who takes Trade. A former chairman of Boots, he nel.
Ireland's former Attorney-General, 38-year-old Peter Sutherland, takes over as the new Irish Commissioner. His responsibilities include the impor tant competition (antitrust) portfolio, social affairs and education. A barris ter and member ofthe Fine Gael party, he is the youngest of the incoming Commissioners.
The new Greek Commissioner is Grigoris V arfis, 57, a former Minister of State at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Socialist member of the European Parliament. He is re sponsible for regional policy and rela tions with the European Parliament.
Luxembourg has nominated Nic Mosar to take over the vacancy left by Gaston '!'horn's departure. Aged 57, and a leading member of the Luxem bourgeois Christian Social party, he is An informal photo-call for the new Commissioners, with ·the exception of responsible for energy, the Euratom supply agency and EEC publications. Claude Cheysson, at I' Abbaye de Royaumont on 8 December.
(i\) ·•-...... ------~-~-""'"""~---.-:AEUROFORUML .. , .A
':~··i·-r' }
Top row: Commission President Jacques Delors; Claude Cheysson; Lorenzo Natali; Carlo Ripa di Meana Second row: Kari-Heinz Narjes; Adolf Pfeiffer; Lord Cockfield; Stanley Clinton Davis Third row: Willy de Clercq; Frons Andriessen; Henning Christopherson; Peter Sutherland Left: Grigoris Varfis; Nic Mosar
(ill) --.. .,.--w - ..-- · , • '*"''. . ._ ..
Continued from page 12 Pfhe centre is making Stabenow was taken first to Treforest in 'starter' factory units available at very low formation technology centre, Pontypridd, a cost to people wanting to set up in business. fa dory units modem building sandwiched between the Of the 20 YTS trainees in the workshop, available, at very low River Taff and Nantgarw Colliery. Here seven are learning construction skills, six are cost, to people there are 40 places for schoolleavers between working on automobiles, four are in catering, 16 and 17 to receive YTS training in compu and three are taking the administrative wanting to set up in ter technology. The course is divided into course. The catering students, for example,< business' computer programming, modem office tech are learning all aspects of the business, from nology and electronics/microprocessors. nutritional values to menu planning, cooking reqwslte on the information technology The European Social Fund visitors had and serving the food. courses - just aptitude. And the Blaenau gone on to Porth to see the work of Rhondda A further 30 trainees are being taught in Gwent centre's activities are shortly to be ex Enterprises Ltd, a YTS project which is one the information technology workshop, which tended further with the opening of a video of seven in the Rhondda Valley. It was similar has an impressive variety of micro compu studio. to the Blaenau Gwent centre, but on a smaller ters, including IDM, BBC and Apricot. The Those taking TOPS courses at the centre scale. From there they travelled to Penrhys, 12-month course has three sections- electro are experiencing 58 per cent placement in to a converted boilerhouse on a hillside which nics, software and modem office techniques. jobs or further training schemes. An indus is now the home of PITECH Technology The visitors were shown a small remote trial sewing course, in particular, is proving Centre. It also includes robotics on its pro controlled robot, which has been developed very successful with three-quarters of the stu gramme of high technology activities. in the electronics section, and which the dents getting jobs at the end of their 13-weeks By the time the two-day visit came to an workshop hopes to equip with a camera so of study, during which time they are taught end the first snow ofwinter was settling on the that it can take photographs in normally inac on every machine they will encounter. By the Welsh hillsides. But the visitors from Brus cessible places, such as drain pipes. Trainees end of the course they have learned not only sels were left in no doubt that the £25 million in this section learn about complex circuitry, to make clothes, but also how to design them. of EEC money that is being spent in Wales, test systems and even fibre optics. The in Not surprisingly, they are much sought-after largely on MSC schemes, is being put to good structor was delighted to have 'captured' two in the locality. use. For many of the country's jobless, the girls from the modem office course, and said Info~tion technology had been very qualifications they are now gaining through they were now outstripping the boys. much in evidence during the first day of the the training programmes hold out a very real Qualifications, incidentally, are not a pre- visitors' tour of South Wales when Dr prospect of jobs in the near future. Dl the ultimate power over revenue, Dr Owen Time to join the EMS, says study group said, there will have to be 'better procedures for taking account of the Parliament's views'. Extension of majority voting, Dr Owen f the British Government is genuine in its commitment to the EEC, and its need to said, need not be against British interests. belief that, sooner of later, Britain must negotiate continuously on a wide range of 'Indeed, it could well prove to be the only way become a full member of the European EEC matters, the UK should not weaken its that, on vital areas like insurance, we can Monetary System, the time is now ripe to position by casting itself unnecessarily as the make the Community accept the realities of I an internal market. Britain should look at this do so. That is the message from the report of a oddoneout. Federal Trust for Education and Research Development of the EMS, concludes the issue in any conference on its merits.' study group, under the chairmanship of report, is at least as vital in the pattern of Dr Owen was delivering the annual Ora David Howell MP. European re-invigoration as the drive against tion at King's College, London. The report recommends that European internal barriers to which the UK Govern- r.,l[======•-=:=::=iAL:===:~ governments should dismantle barriers to the ment has given its unqualified support. use of the European Currency Unit (ECU) The report is available from the Federal and press ahead with the integration of their Trust, la Whitehall Place, London SWIA Can you write national financial markets. 2HA. Price £2.50 plus postage. Such moves, it says, could help to insulate music? European economies from the pressures ex ' jj erted by a volatile dollar, and play a part in re - Besides subsidising a number of music pro versing the recent deterioration in Europe's jects, the European Cultural Foundation is economic performance relative to the US and SDP leader urges organising a competition in which young Japan. composers aged IS to 30, from any Eastern or All the economic and financial arguments majority voting Western European country, are eligible to against Britain's membership of the exchange participate. rate system are weak at the present time, says he conciliation procedures between The challenge is to create a piece of con the report. Oil prices appear stable. Inflation the European Parliament and the Coun temporary music with the theme 'Europe'. performance, monetary targets and the cil are a crucial hinge, and badly need Three substantial cash prizes will be awarded general structure of economic policy in Bri Tsome lubrication, said Dr David Owen, by an international jury to the three most ori tain and Germany are 'as close as are likely to the SDP leader, on 3 December. It is absurd, ginal compositions. be seen between independent sovereign for example, he continued, 'that the Danish Compositions having a duration of no states'. The present exchange rate of sterling Government still refuse to accept, in the text longer than 20 minutes, composed after 31 is widely regarded as reasonable, as is Bri over budget disciplines, actual wording December 1983, and not yet published or tain's balance of payments position. which will stipulate that the ceiling for ex performed publicly, can be submitted until The Government's announced policy on penditure would only be fixed by the Council the closing date, 31 May 1985. the EMS, says the report, is to enter when the of Ministers having heard the views of the Enquiries to: European Youth Competi time is ripe. The report adds that it is difficult European Parliament.' tion 1985, European Cultural Foundation, to envisage any time appearing riper than the Since it will be necessary for the member Jan van Goyenkade 5, 1075 HN Amsterdam, present. Given the UK's long-term political governments to reject Parliament's having Netherlands. 13 EUROPE SS Can we bring urban areas back to life? rban renewal programmes are in dan SIEG VLAEMINCK, an it became increasingly clear that this attitude ger of petering out as the recession had led to a cycle of neglect for the first causes the flow of funds to dry up. urban sociologist, attended generation ciry and neighbourhood centres, That fact of economic and political a recent conference in and to the decay of older buildings which had Ulife was the starting point for discussion by been insufficiently adapted or renovated. some 400 representatives ofce ntral, local and Antwerp at which specialists The 'Brave New World' attitude kindled by regional governmenr, architects, property in municipal building, technical progress and economic growth led developers and public housing agencies in architecture and local to the wholesale demolition of decaying Western Europe, at the inaugural session of inner-city neighbourhoods - population dis the Standing Conference on Urban Renewal government discussed the placement, slum clearance, bulldozers roar in Europe, held in Antwerp last September. problems that are blighting ing in all directions. These were replaced The questions which dominated the entire with typically 'metropolitan' buildings: proceedings were: what can Europe's local our inner cities shopping centres, office blocks and other authorities do to make an active start on re buildings producing a high return on invest newing their urban fabrics; and what con ment. tributions can they expect from the other par states. Those reports will be published, Protests from the local communities led ties during an economic squeeze? together with the proceedings of the confer planners to rethink their strategies. Out of In their preparations for the conference, ence. this was born a new conception of renewal. the organisers had asked local authorities to During the 1950s and 1960s, urban growth T he key values in this reassessment were submit written reports on their experiences in was pursued principally through grandiose based on urban planning to a human scale; inner-city renewal. They received 30 replies new building projects, with the emphasis on case-by-case interventions; improvement, from authorities throughout the ten member functionality. From 1960onwards, however, where that remained a viable option; rebuild- 14 EUROPE SS 'Key values were based on urban planning to a human scale' ing; a more gradual facelift for the urban fab ric; the concept of neighbourhood whole ness; affordable rents (after renovation); and a more circumspect approach to the heritage of the past. The 1980s saw urban renewal enter a new phase. In the wake of recession came budget ary restraint and an acute shortage of money available for urban community development. The talk was now of'restrained urban renew al', 'affordable renewal', 'clean renewal' or 'rent-based renewal'. The repercussions have been felt not only at central government level - reduction in rebuilding and renovation quotas, cuts in government financing for all types of project, etc-but also by all the other interest groups involved in urban renovation. The philosophy of urban renewal which developed during the 1970s never reaJJy found favour with commercial backers and developers - in other words, the private building sector. The very few local author ities who did join forces with commercial backers spoke mainly of projects for commer cial, industrial or office buildings, or a com bination of these with flats and studios for sale at high prices. The city of Amsterdam put forward a plan under which commercial backers would be required to accept a slightly lower return for social welfare reasons. Many authorities expressed positive views on the part played in urban renewal both now and in the past, by the public housing con struction agencies. However, many of them continue to favour the solution of low income, tower block housing projects in over spill areas on the outskirts, whereas their re novation and rebuilding task is indisputably housing and its social enivronment for cen ence, to allow for more in-depth discussions in the run-down inner-city areas. turies. No doubt the recession has much to do on the basis of case studies and reports from Meanwhile, as the incomes of the (future) with the resurgence of do-it-yourself among expert study groups. This might lead to an in occupants are declining, rents are continuing householders and tenants. Many local hous creased awareness of the problems and solu to rise. The new tenants cannot afford to pay ing authorities were strongly in favour of tions among precisely those local housing au the costs of renovation; so renovation ceases offering greater encouragement and support thorities currently trying to scrape together to be a viable option. to the do-it-yourself enthusiast, including the· the financial and other resources needed to A different problem, and peculiar to major simplification of formalities in applying for put their theories of restrained renewal into conurbations, is that public housing con improvement grants and tax concessions for practice. struction agencies are not geographically householders carrying out certain types of While conferences may provide a useful focused on a neighbourhood basis. Rotter improvement. forum for airing problems, a true exchange of dam's experience is very pertinent in this It is obviously in the interest both of the experiences requires a more structured respect. The plan was to group together the local housing authority and the citizen to en framework and discussions. thousands of dwellings purchased into courage low-priced housing units in renewal Many delegates have expressed only luke 'neighbourhood organisations', in which all zones, to keep demand at a satisfactory level. warm enthusiasm for the theme scheduled for tenants would have a say. Insuperable obsta At the conference, this led to the interesting discussion at the Mainz Conference in 1986: cles prevented, first, the organisations from speculation that official recognition for do-it urban renewal for the towns of the 21st cen being set up and, second, the speedy transfer yourself housing schemes, as part of the plan tury. Such a quantum leap forward is of no of ownership. Despite all that, there still ex for urban renewal, might help reduce the real relevance to solving the problems of ists a long-term plan to establish neighbour level of undeclared employmem, or ' moon urban (and rural) renewal which must be hood (sub-)organisations, by re-allocating lighting'. Meanwhile there is no question that tackled, and financed, in the short term by the proposed new buildings among the ex the general trend is towards a more balanced taking a sensitive and innovative approach to isting construction agencies. exhange of views, with a greater European the problem of community wholeness. We The principle of self-help has been the dimension. should not let dreams of tomorrow's Utopias driving force behind the development of The next step should be for a longer confer- blind us to the sores of Europe's today. 01 15 EUROPE SS at the Toulouse headquarters of Airbus In dustrie, where the planes are assembled from Airbus takes oft: a coup parts bwlt separately by the four member companies of the consortium - Germany's MBB, France's AerospatiaJe, British Aeros for European technology pace, and a Spanish Builder, CASA. 'I feel as happy as a mother who has just given birth,' exclaimed Bcrnard Lathiere, the ebuiHent t now looks as if Europe might succeed in PAUL LEWIS reports on French-born boss of Airbus Industrie, on accomplishing one of its most cherished hearing the news. aims - to prevent the United States and, the family of passenger It is not difficult to understand Lathiere's Imore specifically, the Boeing Corpora aircraft, fathered by Britain, excitement. So far, Airbus Industrie has tion, from acqwring a monopoly throughout landed 355 firm sales of its A-300 and A-310 the world in the business of passenger France, Gennany and models, giving it some 66 per cent of the aircraft construction. Spain, which looks set to world market for wide-bodied, two-engined The ray of hope is Pan Am's decision last earn billions of dollars in aircraft, while Boeing, with 185 orders for its September to order the European Airbus, competing B-767 aircraft, has 34 per cent of that distinctively plump family of passenger sales to the United States the pie. planes into which the governments of the U n But Airbus Industrie was badly in need of a ited Kingdom, France, the Federal Republic altogether or are cutting back their activities. big US order to lend credibiHty to its chal of Germany and Spain have poured billions of Under the complex deal, Pan Am will pay lenge to Boeing. In 1978, it sold 34 planes to taxpayers' dollars in a last-dirch bid to stay in roughly $1 billion for 28 Airbus jets, consist Eastern Airlines; but since then its only the aircraft-building game. ing of 12 220-seat Airbus-310s and 16 of the American successes have been a sale of four As a result of the Pan Am sale, Airbus In new, smaller !SO-seat A-320s. Until all these planes to Northeastern Airlines and a single dustrie - the consortium set up by the four planes are ready, the US flag carrier will lease model to Capitol Airlines. countries 13 years ago to build the plane - has another 16 of the bigger Airbuses, returning Airbus Industrie also has been looking for at last secured a substantial new foothold in them as its own new aircraft are delivered. In orders for the new small 150-seat A-320, the US market, traditionally dominated by its addition, Pan Am has taken out options to which it decided to build only last March af more powerful rival, Boeing. buy another 13 A-3 10s and 34 of the smaller ter participating governments at last agreed And it has done so for the whole of its gra A-320s. If exercised, these options would to put up the needed $1.7 billion in develop dually expanding range of aircraft, at a time raise the number of airbuses Pan Am buys to me m funds. So far, the only purchasers have when Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas, 91 , and double the contract's total value to been state-owned airlines in the Airbus In the two other big US passenger aircraft buil some $2 billion. dustrie countries. Finally, Airbus Industrie ders, have either pulled out of the business The deal set the champagne corks popping had 24 completed, but unsold, planes sitting British Aerospace, os partners, ore responsible for design and assembly of the wings. 16 EUROPE SS on the tarmac in Toulouse. Now, in one 1 Airbus is firmly Nevertheless, Boeing and Airbus Industrie stroke, all three problems have been solved. believe there is a huge market for new passen Airbus is firmly established as a major ele established as a maior ger aircraft during the remainder of this cen ment in the fleet of a big US airline, with all element in the fleet of tury, as the world's airlines phase out their the valuable publicity that will bring. a big US airline1 present ageing, noisy and fuel-thirsty planes. Describing the Airbus order as 'a keystone' Airbus Industrie, for instance, puts the long in Pan Am's fleet plans, company president, term market for all types of passenger aircraft C. Edward Acker, said the airline henceforth at around 7,800 planes, with a total value of will depend on just three types of aircraft - be flown by two pilots, without a flight en about $440 billion. It thinks airlines will need Boeing 747 jumbo jets, which it already gineer. They are proud, too, of the Airbus's about 3,000 small, 150-seat aircraft, roughly owns, for long distance flights and the two efficient new-style wings, and the use of the same number of wide-body, medium , types of Airbus it is now buying for short and graphite fibre instead ofmetal in bearings and range 220-seaters and about 1,000 new long medium routes. the undercarriage doors. range planes. Today, Airbus Industrie claims it is paying But the Airbus also incorporates a substan The company's aim is to compete in all back the money governments advanced it to tial amount of American technology: the Pan these segments of the market in direct com get started, in the form of a royalty on each Am sale means jobs for Americans as well as petition with Boeing, the only other maker plane sold. It also maintains that there was Europeans. that already offers clients a full range ofsmall, nothing underhanded about the Pan Am sale. The engines it uses, which alone account wide-body and long-haul jets. 'We are abso 'This is a very standard deal,' says Airbus for about 30 per cent of an aircraft's cost, are lutely convinced that the future viability of sales director Pierre Pailleret. 'We haven't made either by Pratt & Whitney or General our whole project depends on widening our accepted coffee beans, cocoa or bananas in re Electric. Some of the avionics come from the range of aircraft so that we can meet an air turn for the planes, and we are not taking United States. And purchasers can often line's total fleet needs, with all the economies back any old Pan Am aircraft.' choose whether they want such sophisticated that it offers,' Latbiere insists. Clearly, the exceptionally strong dollar and instruments as the plane's flight management The US exposure offered to Airbus Indus the weakness of European clirrencies gave system or weather aid radar to be US or trie by the Pan Am deal should prove valu Airbus a financial leg up in its negotiations European-built. able. By 1986, Airbus Industrie wants its four with Pan Am. But Airbus officials insist on The wider significance of Pan Am's Airbus member companies and their governments to the technological excellence of their product order is that it comes at a moment when the back its latest project- the TA-11, a four as well. world's airliners are gearing up for a spending engine, 250-seat long-range aircraft that They are particularly proud of the ad spree, just as the number of aircraft makers would compete directly with Hoeing's 747 vanced Airbus cockpit, with its digital in interested in their custom is diminishing. jumbo jet. formation display screens and electronic Lockbeed has withdrawn from passenger monitoring devices, both built by France's aircraft building altogether, and McDonnell 0 Paul Lewis is The New York Times econo Thomson-CSF, and which allows the plane to Douglas has killed plans for a new airliner. mic correspondent in Paris. Airbus lndustrie was badly in need of a big US order. The deal with Pan Am could secure its future. 17 tunnel - or by roadway on top of a analyses; technical innovation, and barrage, if studies demonstrate that help with common services, tech a barrage with roadway is worth nical information, additionaJ in considering. vestment access to risk capital, plus The study will proceed alongside indirect help through the establish the existing repair programme on ment and extension of counselling the present Severn Bridge. It will services and economic promotion look at all the costs and benefits, in agencies. cluding the environmentaJ factors, The English element of the small and the approach roads needed to firms aid is a new £40 million pack connect the second road crossing age called 'Business improvement with the existing M4. services' (BIS). Scotland, Wales The reason for providing the and Northern Ireland will maximum 50 per cent rate of grant announce their own arrangements on the project is that the EEC recog separately. Boost for nises the vitaJ interest of the Second Severn Crossing in the regional re generation of South WaJes, and the Ulster Left-hand, vital part the Severn Crossing plays Three in the European highway network blackspots from the continent to London, and right-hand to South Wales and Ireland, as awards by Northern Ireland, one of Euroroute E30. Europe's blacks pots for sorted out the EIB unemployment and urban decay, has become a major target of EEC The Commission has been The European Investment Bank aid, with an estimated £525 looking into difficulties Small firms has announced the award of three million of Community funds experienced by customers new scholarships for students pumped into the economy over wishing to buy Alfa Romeo studying for doctorates at the the past ten years. vehicles with right-hand drive. to get more European University Institute in A report on the impact of the T he problem related particularly Florence. funding shows that over half of the to delivery dates and availability, aid in 1985 T he scholarships are named after money came from the European So and mainly concerned United former ETB presidents Pietro Cam cial Fund (ESF). lt went towards Kingdom nationals buying in Small firms in Britain's steel, pilli and Paride Formentini. Each is financing training schemes primari Belgium and Luxembourg. shipbuilding and textile areas are worth about £6,000. ly for unemployed youngsters Following the Commission's in the main benefici aries of a £100 This year's winners are Ulrich through groups such as Enterprise tervention, in the course of in million aid package announced in Notges, from the University of Ulster, Younghelp and the Indust quiries into application of EEC London on 26 November by the Konstanz in the Federal Republic rial Training Board. competition ruJes, Alfa Romeo has European Commission and the of Germany; and Francesca di Bris The £282 million spent on the now changed its commercial policy Department of Trade an·d co and Serena Sordi, both from the schemes was about I 8 per cent of regarding the sale and delivery of Industry. University of Siena. the total UK Social Fund allocation right-hand-drive vehicles in mar The aid - £89 million from the and 5.5 percent of total ESF spend kets where the demand is ordinarily European regional development ing throughout all ten member for left-hand-drive cars. fund and £12.5 million from the states during the period. British Government - will help Northern Ireland has also been a offset job losses in run-down areas, major recipient of funding from the and £63 million of it has been ear European Regional Development Funds for marked to help with the setting up Fund (ERDF). According to the re of small firms and to improve the port, £167 million from the Fund efficiency ofexisting ones. has helped to create or maintain an new ways Other funds will be used for en estimated 2,000 to 3,000 jobs a year vironmental improvements, in in the province since 1975. cluding the conversion of disused Of the total, 65 per cent went to over the buildings into premises for small infrastructure projects such as businesses. roads, power lines and sewerage, a Severn Areas eligible for funding are third went to industry and I per those defined in EEC regulations at cent went to special rural infra Over £1 million of EEC money is the beginning oflast year. They are structure projects in hill-farming to be contributed to the second not affected by the latest review of areas. Severn Crossing Feasibility travel to work areas. Additional ERDF finance has Study, being undertaken jointly Of the ERDF total £19 million Ashotinthe gone to, and will continue to sup by the Welsh Office and the wil l go to eligible steel areas, £10 port, special regional developmem Department ofTran sport. million for shipbuilding areas and, programmes in poor border areas The £1.05 million is coming from for the first time, there will be aid arm for the and in the depressed shipbuilding the European Regional Develop for textile areas totalling £60 mil and textile industries. ment Fund at the maximum rate of lion. The UK Government's con cinema? Belfast has aJso attracted a major grant of 50 per cent of the total cost tribution of £12.5 miJiion is addi EC experiment in integrated urban of £2. 1 million of the study being tional to these amounts. The aid is Europe's cinema industry is in renewal in the form of a £60 million carried out by three firms of Con available until31 March 1989. dire financial straits. The grant for a three-year programme to sulting Engineers - W.S. Atkins The £63 million for small firms European Commission is tackle its massive problems of and Partners; G Maunsell and Part will be available as grants - mainly planning to call for a series of urban decay. ners; C Haswell and Partners. either 55 per cent or 70 per cent of measures designed to revive its Belfast, which was selected for The study currently getting the cost of a wide range of profes flagging fortunes. the scheme together with Naples, under way, is due to be completed siona.l consuha.ncy a.nd other ser The introduction of cable and received about a third of the money in April 1986. It wiU examine vices. sareUite television means that in 1983 to fund 71 projects, and will alternative methods of providing a Eligible services include manage Europe will soon have to fill about get the rest by the end of 1985. second road crossing by bridge or ment and organisation; market 125 ,000 hours of film programming 18 EUROPE SS a year. French, Italian and German After a period of relative stabil Bank employees have not been productions currently total about ity, dole queues continued to leng bit as bard as some other sectors by 5,000 hours. The way to fill the gap then in France. But in the Federal the recession. After a contraction in is to offer financial assistance to Republic of Germany and the 1980-81, the rate of employment in European producers, says the Corn· Netherlands the situation improved the industry stablilised and the new mission. slightly during September and technologies did not result in mass American productions already October. redundancies. account for between 35 per cent and Over the year ending October 31 , In future employers are not plan 80 per cent of the EEC's ten nation unemployment in the Nine as a ning to increase the number of jobs, al TV markets. About60 per cent of whole rose by 5.6 per cent. Worst but will try to maintain existing all light entertainment program hit was France, which experienced levels. The unions are less optimis ming in Western Europe is made in a 16 percent increase. In Italy, Lux tic and say !:hat technical advances America. embourg and Ireland the number of will cut jobs between now and the By comparison, American pro jobless rose by about 8 per cent and end of the decade. Experience has ductions account for about 95 per in the UK by 4 per cent. In Den shown that it is !:he least skilled jobs cent of programming in the US. mark and the Netherlands it fell by that are the most th.reatened. New Are women The cinema is also doing well across 9 per cent and 3 per cent respective technologies have eradicated a the Atlantic. American cinemas ly. In the Federal Republic of Ger number of routine jobs and made attract about twice as many custom· many and Belgium it remained vir recruitment a much more selective happy in ers as do European ones. tually unchanged. process. The European cinema is shrink· Unemployment is currently run Today the office boy has much their work? ing because of a lack of money. Be ning at about 16.6 per cent in Ire less chance of ever becoming the tween 1973 and 1983 the number of land, J5.2percentin Belgium, 14.4 managing director. Amateurism is Women i.n paid employment films produced in France fell to 131 per cent in the Netherlands, 13.2 out and promotion will be in continue to feel disadvantaged, from 180, Italian productions fell to per cent in Italy, 12.2 per cent in the creasingly training-orientated. compared with their male 36 from 80 and German produc UK, 11 per cent in France, 9.9 per Emphasising the importance of colleagues, in terms of promotion tions fell to 70 from 82. cem in Denmark, 8 per cent in the training, managers said that it was prospects, salary levels and According to the European Com Federal Republic of Germany and the best way of improving produc access to further vocational mission, the European countries 1. 8 per cent in Luxembourg. tivity, whilst unionistS said it was a training. should club together to eo-finance right to wh.ich !:heir members were This emerges from a recent sur films both for television and the entitled. vey carried for the Commission of cinema. Between 1970 and 1975 the European Communities with a Europe eo-produced about 150 representative sample of 5,447 films a year. About 100 a year were female employees. produced with other EC countries. Inflation is The survey strives not only to Today eo-productions total about take due account of political de 30 a year. velopments and !:heir impact on In 1981 the Federal Republic of creeping up women's lives, but also introduces a Germany and France took a St!;P in series of additional questions, seek the right direction by signing a cine again ing to evaluate two important eco ma cooperation agreement to en nomic and social developments of courage 'quality productions that The consumer price index for the recent years-the risk of unemploy observe the cultural identity of the ten European Community ment and the impact of technologic signatory countries'. countries rose by 0.8 per cent in al change. Rising demand is another en October- the biggest increase in While the great majority of couraging factor. Despite the reces six months. women interviewed inclined to the sion, consumer spending on au Greece recorded a 2.5 per cent in view !:hat there was no difference in diovisual equipment in Europe has Automation crease, followed by Italy with I per the treatment of men and women at increased in real terms by 40 per cent, the Netherlands with 0.7 per work, a significant number never cent in ten years. A British study cent, the Federal Republic of Ger theless believed that they were at a shows that an investment of $150 threatens many, France, Luxembourg and disadvantage as regards promotion million in audiovisual production the United Kingdom with 0.6 per prospects (30 per cent), salaries (25 could create as many as 11,500 new cent, Belgium with 0.5 per cent and per cent), further training (15 per jobs in the sector. bank jobs Denmark with 0.4 per cent. cent) and bonuses and benefits ( 14 In the year to the end of October, percent). Automatic cash dispensers are inflation for the Community as a They recognised, on the other 11.4per popping up like mushrooms whole reached 6. 7 per cent. The hand, !:hat they benefited from a across Europe. The arrival of new lowest level was recorded in the more advantageous retirement age technology is turning the lives of Federal Republic of Germany, (23 per cent) and better working cent are the 1.8 million people who work in where inflation has fallen to 2.1 per hours (8 per cent) than !:heir male the banking sector upside down. cent. In the Netherlands it was 2.8 colleagues. Throughout, it was em 'The social consequences ofthe per cent, in Luxembourg 3.6 per ployees working in factories or jobless in introduction of new technologies cent, in the United Kingdom 5 per workshops who felt at a greater dis in the banking sector' was the cent, in Belgium 5.8 per cent and in advantage than other categories. Europe theme of a seminar organised by Denmark 6 per cent. Nevertheless, the great majority the European Commission that The worst figures were recorded of women in paid employment were Registered unemployment i.n the took place in Luxembourg in in Greece, where inflation is still at satisfied with their present jobs. nine Community countries November. 18.4 percent. Next worse was Italy Seventy three per cent felt that their excluding Greece rose to 11.4 per The meeting, the first of its kind, at 9.6 per cent, Ireland at 7.9 per work included a measure of respon cent ofthe workforce and totalled was attended by a range of experts cent and France at6. 9 per cent. sibility and 78 per cent judged !:hat 12.8 million at the end of October. from management, unions, univer Since the beginning of 1982 aver their activities were very well-or at The number of jobless in !:he sities and research bodies. The dis age inflation rates in Europe have least fairly well- utilised. Nine actually increased by about I cussion centred on a paper written declined fairly steadily from about Overall, J 1 per cent of women, per cenr from the September figure, by Prof. Emil Kirchner of the Uni 13 per cent to their current level. In when applying for a job that in indicating a rising trend rather than versity of Essex. The issues debated the US, inflation currently stands at terested them, had found that the a seasonal adjustment, according to included jobs, health, training and about 4 per cent and, in Japan, at employer's intention was to recruit Eurostat, the EC Statistical Office. the organisation of working time. about 2 per cent. a man rather than a woman. 19 EUROPE SS ulie Hayward, a highly qualified cook at Cammell Laird's shipyard, Birkenhead, A wom·an cook is worth her considered that her work was of equal Jvalue to the firm as that done by their male joiners, painters and insulation en saH- and that's the law gineers, and that she should be paid as highly as them. Until the beginning of 1984 there was no legal way in which she could make her claim. But, in January, amendments to the Equal Pay Act 1970 came into force -legislation re quired as a result of a ruling by the European Court ofjustice in 1uly 1982. The original Act allowed for equal pay for women when it could be shown that they did the same or similar work to a man. But it did not take account of European Community directive 75/117, which requires equal pay for work of equal value, even if the jobs are different. Julie Hayward, therefore, saw her chance. Backed by her trade union and by the Equal Opportunities Commission, she applied to the Industrial Tribunal. The Tribunal, under the law, referred her case to an inde pendent expert - in this case Mr Terry Dillon, a lecturer in industrial relations at University College, Bangor. He examined the four jobs of cook, pain ter, joiner and insulation engineer under five heads: physical stamina and energy; environ mental conditions; planning, thinking and judgement required; skill, training and knowledge; and responsibility, taking account of tools and equipment used. The Act lays down no formal rules for such investigations, but the Tribunal accepted his conclusion that the work of a canteen cook was of equal value to the men's jobs. Julie, who bad been earning £99 a week, was awarded a £31 rise to bring her up to the men's £130 a week. Jul ie Hayward at her workplace: a winner for Community law. The case - even though Cammell Laird may still appeal - has sent a wave of enthu siasm through the ranks of women, and the Equal Opportunities Commission has urged those who feel that they are unfairly under paid should consider bringing their case be fore a tribunal. The EOC already has 15 cases awaiting a hearing, including a house mother, a clerical administrative assistant, and a cash-and carry assistant, each claiming work of equal value to that of male colleagues. Critics have pointed out, however, that the new legislation is complex and provides the employer with considerable leeway for paying men more than women, even when their jobs appear to be of equal value. A deci sion by the Tribunal also applies only to the person who has made the claim; though Julie may get her rise, another cook may not. The EOC, however, sees the case as a chal lenge to the traditional assumptions that male skills should be more highly regarded than female skills. It hopes that employers will take note, make suitable pay adjustments, and avoid lengthy legal cases. Julie Hayward Pupils at the European School, Abingdon, Berkshire, celebrated the opening has at least proved that the Act works. of eight new classrooms with o balloon race. One front-runner got to Devon. PEGGYCRANE 20 EUROPE SS Left: Winchester School illustrations from the Benedictionol of Archbishop R6bert, on loon from Rouen. Above: on Anglo Scondinovion silver brooch from the Isle of Ely {British Museum). Below: the Alfred Jewel, with on enamelled figure representing Sight (Ashmoleon Museum, Oxford). New light on the Old English yone who visited the '1066' exhibi Sumptuous works of art, tional of Archbishop Robert and the Missal of tion at the Hayward Gallery last sum Robert of Jurnieges, in Latin and Anglo mer will have come away with a strong craft and literature, pre Saxon, with decorations and drawings in the Asense of the cultural jnjection that fol dating the Conquest, reveal style of the Winchester School, which repre lowed the Conquest. But it is as well to be re sents the summit ofearly English colour illus mmded that, before the Normans - and with the Anglo-Saxon culture in tration. Both are from the Biblioteque Muni help from the Vikings- there already existed its golden age cipale, Rouen; and this is the first time they a distinctively native art in these islands. It have been repatriated. was rich enough to warrant the title given to it Another masterpiece of the period, the sil by the British Museum, in a truly sumptuous ver and gilded Cross in St Michael's Cathed exhibition which can be seen until the middle ral in Brussels, shows similar mastery. Even of March: the Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art. without the crucified figure, which was lost in Considering how few survivals from those the distant past, it exudes a devotional in times are to be found in our museums, the ex tensity appropriate to the words inscribed on hibition seems to overflow with treasures. it, taken from the Anglo-Saxon poem 'The Many belong to the great abbeys and cathed Dream of the Rood': 'Cross is my name: rals, where they are jealously protected from once, trembling and drenched with blood, I the prying eyes of mere tourists, such as the bore the mighty King.' volume ofOld English poetry in the library of The growing wealth of the Church in the Exeter Cathedral, and York Minster's manu peaceful years following the Viking raids is script of the Gospels, both ofwhich have been reflected in the care lavished on more every kept inviolate for over 900 years. day objects, from furniture to the coinage. In Other survivals include the famous Alfred deed, the Anglo-Saxons seem to have had a Jewel, of gold and rock crystal, vividly taste for glitter and brilliance equal to that of enamelled, and the gloriously decorated their near neighbours across the Channel. Benedictional of St Aethelwold, from the In short, the exhibition shows that Eng British Library. Aethelwold, Bishop of land before the Conquest was no cultural Winchester, mspired and promoted the backwater. As Simon Keynes writes in an in resurgence of cultural activity in England in troduction to the catalogue: 'When William the lOth Century. His death in the year 984 the Conqueror seized what he considered to serves as the justification of the exhibition (if be his rightful inheritance, he would have any were needed): it is not every day that we found much that was already familiar, and have a thousandth anniversary to celebrate. even more for which he would learn to be Some of the oldest exhibits have been grateful.' loaned from France, notably the Benedic- DEN IS THOMAS 21 11 liEUROPE851: Dimitrios Adamou, Greece: amination of all the provisions ' Can the Commission give a break QUESTIONS foodstuffs is not possible, owing down of expenditure for cultural the multiplicity of rules that exist activities by country for 1983 and the Community and to the limit1 for 1984, in particular with regard IN THE HOUSE staff available at the Commission. to Greece, and state what specific It should be borne in mind tha purposes the funds have been used the Commission has not proceeded Karl von Wogau, Germany: apart from the procedure of e: for? to establish a school textbook com There exist provisions in a number amining provisions that have give Answer by Gaston Thorn on mission. of member states specifying that rise to difficulties in the free mov1 behalf of the Commission: food products bearing certain ment of goods, barriers to trade ea The Commission would emphasise names may be marketed nationally be removed by the approximatio. that appropriations under Articles Alex Falconer, United Kingdom: only if they have been prepared in of laws, and indeed must be so re 670 and 671 of the budget are not In what countries within the EEC accordance with specified recipes. moved wherever trade-restrictin1 allocated on a geographical basis, does deer farming occur? What is These provisions may in some cases national provisions are justified fo but according to how the various the current venison export rate to constitute measures having equiva reasons of common concern or fo. operations, preferably multination countries outside the Community lent effect to quantitative restric the reasons set out in Article 36 o al ones, appear to accord with the and the countries in receipt of tions which cannot be justified by the EEC Treaty. objectives of Community action in same? What assistance is available reference to Article 36 of the EEC With the number of Communit) the cultural sector. for deer farming? Treaty. directives already in force - Direc· The list of operations supported Answer by Poul Dalsager on Does the Commission have a list tive 79/113/EEC of 19 December by the Commission in 1983 and behalf of the Commission: of all the purity requirements laid 1978 on the labelling, presentation 1984 will be sent direct to the Hon The Commission does not have any down by the member states, or at and advertising of foodstuffs for ourable Member and to Parlia detailed information about deer least the most important of them? sale to the ultimate consumer is just ment's Secretariat. farming in the Community, and is And what action does the Commis one example - the Commission is The Honourable Member will therefore not in a position to answer sion intend to take to verify that still actively following up its work note in particular that the approp this question. It is known, howev each of the purity requirements laid in this field. riation allocated for conservation er, that deer farming occurs in at down by the member states con work on the Parthenon in 1984 least three member states (Den forms to the provisions of the EEC Thomas Megahy, United accounts for nearly a quarter of the mark, the Federal Republic of Ger Treaty? Kingdom: Commission's total appropriations many, United Kingdom). Answer by Karl-Heinz Narjes on Can the Commission state what pro for culture for the year, i.e., The EEC trade statistics, behalf of the Commission: visions exist in the various member 500,000 ECUs out of2,040,000. NIMEXE, do not provide for a spe The Commission is, of course, states for the payment of social cial line for farmed venison. Veni- aware of the main legal provisions security benefit to nationals of other Elmar Brok, Denmark: member states taking up work in On 12 October 1983 the European their country? Parliament adopted a resolution on Answer by Ivor Richard on behalf the establishment of a school text of the Commission book commission. Can the Com The Council adopted, in 1958, pur mission state: which school text suant to Article 51 of the EEC Trea book institutes in EEC countries it ty, Regulations 3 and 4 on the ap is collaborating with; what con plication of social security schemes tribution it is making within the to migrant workers and their fami framework of this collaboration to lies moving within the Community. reduce nationalistic prejudices in These Regulations, which took educational materials; and whether effect on 1 January 1959, were re it has taken specific steps in re vised and up-dated in the form of sponse to the demands made in the two new regulations (EEC) nos. above-mentioned resolution. 1408/7land574/72. Thelatterwere Answer by Ivor Richard on behalf themselves modified and consoli of the Commission: dated in August 1983, following As explained by the Member of the their extension to include self Commission during the debate on employedpersonsfrom 1 July 1982. the Resolution cited in the ques The Regulations coordinate the tion, the resources available for the social security systems of each of promotion of a European dimen the member states, so as to permit sion in school curricula are very the aggregation of periods of insur small, and have been considerably ance completed anywhere in the reduced in recent years. Community; to accord equality of The Commission works with a son coming from farmed or hunted on foodstuffs laid down by the treatment in the field of social variety of organisations, which animals falls within the NIMEXE member states. Since, however, the security to all nationals thereof, re bring together in each member state number 02.04-30 'meat and edible problem referred to in the question gardless of the member state in those interested in the promotion of meat offals of game'. A more de concerns not only purity require which they are working; and to pro teaching about Europe and the tailed subdivision of the NIMEXE ments but all the provisions of the vide for the payment of benefits to European Community, using such numbers does not exist. ten member states relating to the which such workers are entitled in resources as are available. No specific assistance for deer composition, designation and any member state of the Commun In addition, following the discus farming only is available within the marketing of foodstuffs, it is hardly ity in which they are residing, not sion in the Council and the meeting Common Agricultural Policy. As feasible to draw up a complete list, withstanding that the place of resi of Education Ministers within the venison falls under Annex 11 of the especially as provisions of this kind dence is outside the member state Council of 4 June 1984 on a recent Treaty, and is therefore covered by are not found solely in the national responsible for payment of those French experiment on teaching ab the Common Agricultural Policy, it laws on food products. benefits. out Europe, the Commission is now is possible that a farmer whose As it has done in the past, the examining with the' Education activity is deer farming may benefit Commission will investigate any D These answers to written ques Committee the possibility of incor from the different measures pro provisions that are brought to its tions submitted by MEPs were porating this experience within the vided for in the Community Direc notice, through complaints or any given by Commissioners still serv European Schools Day framework, tives on agricultural structure other means, as presenting prob ing their terms ofoffice to the end of and extending it to other member (especialy Directive 72/159/EEC), lems in connection with the free 1984. The new European Commis states. However, for the reasons ex if he complies with all the condi movement of goods. At the present sioners (see EUROFORUM) took over plained to Parliament in the debate tions laid down in these directives. time, however, a systematic ex- on 1 January. 22 EUROPE SS How COFACE gets involved in family matters Ask almost anyone what is meant by committees, including the Consultative COFACE, and he or she will almost Committees of EEC Consumers and the certainly look blank, or suggest it is some CAP, which advise the Commission on form of cosmetic. legislation, and it has undertaken In fact, COFACE (pronounced research on family and social policies. Cofasse) stands for the Confederation of COFACE is most proud, however, of Family Organisations in the European having persuaded the European Community. As an advisory body to the Parliament, in June 1983, to adopt a far European Commission, its job is to reaching resolution on family affairs, safeguard and promote the interests of the setting the Confederation's work in family-an objective most people proper perspective. Based on this understand, even if the term 'family' resolution, COFACE produced a detailed cannot be today clearly defined. European Family Manifesto for the 1984 William Lay, COFACE director, with European election, which covered its his office in Brussels, has described the aspirations on social policy, consumer Confederation as a political organisation protection, educational policy, and which directed on the European Commission included a call for a Council ofFamily and the European Parliament in an effort Affairs. to get things done. Each Community The Manifesto also called for the country has representatives on the adoption of Community legislation on Assembly, Council and Bureau that run 1 consumer credit, misleading advertising COFACE. At the moment, the UK has 0ur meetings are (now adopted by the Council), and the four voluntary organisations participating always frienCIIy and importance of energy saving and in its work as full members. These are the cooperative;, even recycling policies. Indirectly, at least, the National Council for Voluntary Confederation has influenced a Organisations; the Pre-School when we diner considerable amount of Commission Playgroups Association; the National -KayYoung draft legislation, notably on parental Federation of Parent Teacher leave, shorter working hours, care of the Associations; and the National handicapped, the importance of tourism Federation ofWomen's Institutes. Pan-Hellenic Women's Association from to rural families, and on consumer matters Kay Young, an active member of the Greece, and Catholic Women's Kay Young, who goes to Brussels up to NFWI, who has just received the OBE Associations from several countries. ten times a year to attend to her COFACE for her work as chairman of Rural Voice, As Mrs Young points out, with such a commitments, regrets that the a national organisation concerned with round of interests, even definition of a Confederation's work is not better known people in rural areas, is a vice-president of family is impossible. But COFACE is in Britain, and that only four major COFACE. She has beenamemberofthe unique in being the only Community British voluntary organisations have organisation since 1979. She spent 20 related organisation that is concerned shown sufficient interest to become years in Malaysia and Singapore, where directly with people living in the involved. Membership, in full or she helped to set up the first nurses' countryside-some SO per cent of associated form, is open to any voluntary training school. Returning to England in Community families. She herself was organisation concerned with family 1966 to live in a tiny village a few miles partly instrumental in establishing matters, subject to vetting by the south of Winchester, she became COFACE's rural families committee, administration of suitability within interested in the Women's Institutes-not which is engaged in research on special COFACErules. Full members, however, for their jam making and flower needs of the countryside-needs which do have to pay a fairly heavy subscription, of arranging, she adds, but because she felt not always parallel those of the about £320 a year. strongly that, with a membership of Community's agricultural policies. Though the British groups meet 360,000 women, it could and should COFACE works through its contacts informally before Council meetings to make itself felt. Her own interests led her with the Commission, the Economic and consider agendas, the whole affair is very to Europe, where the Women's Institutes Social Committee, and the European informal, as each is responsible to his or already had representation on COFACE. Parliament. Its particular interests are in her own nominating organisation. There The Confederation was founded in consumer protection, flexible working is no 'British view', or any other national 1958 as a branch of the International hours, parental leave, reform of the CAP, view, apparent in COFACE discussions. Union of Family Organisations, and in and security against damage to health or 'We find very broad areas of agreement,' 1979 it became a legally constituted entity security from faulty products such as, for says Mrs Young, 'and our meetings are in its own right. It had to wait untill984 example, harmful toys. always friendly and co-operative, even before the Council of Ministers conceded Work on these matters is pursued by when we differ. a token £60,000 from the Community special committees, which the British 'While we may not be able to point to budget for its work. group split up between them. Barbara any great achievements, it is important At present, COFACEconsists of SO Saunders, Deputy General Secretary of that there should be some body organisations from the ten Community the NFWI, for instance, is the consumer concerned with the human face of the countries, of which the British group is expert, and Bill Seary, from NCVO, is European Community. There is nothing the most diverse in its interests. Other chairman of the social affairs committee. more human than the family and its national groups include the Rural As to what the Confederation has needs.' Families Association from France, the achieved, it is represented on several PEGGYCRANE 23 EUROPE SS A major extension costing Five European chemical firms, Jobless Birmingham youngsters are The European Commission has £750,000 to the catering and including Laporte Industries of snubbing places on a city council now lodged a complaint to the accommodation department at Britain, have been fined a record scheme which would give them an European Court of Justice against Cornwall College has been £5.4 million by the Common extra year ofwork-skill training. Germany's maintenance of a ban on completed and is now in use. Market Commission for illegal The £1.5 million project, funded all imported beers which It means that 100 more full-time fixing of prices and market shares joindy by the city council and an contravene the 'pure beer' law of students can be enrolled over the within the EEC. EEC social fund grant, is aimed at 1516. next two years in this developing Laporte, which has plants in helping some of the 5,000 New readers will wish to know, educational service at the college. Leeds and Warrington, has been youngsters who failed to find jobs or old readers be reminded, that It has been built in response to ordered to pay £1.2 million for its at the end of the first year of the this case began in August 1983 the enormous student demand for alleged part in a 14-year agreement Government's Youth Training when the Commission demanded places and the need to keep up to to carve up the European market Scheme in August. that Germany abolish the import date with current trends in the for hydrogen peroxide, an However, less than half of the ban. This they refused to do, industry. important ingredient in washing 1,240 places on the programme, maintaining the ban was in the The new facilities have been powders and industrial bleaches. which have been available since interests of protecting consumers. provided by the local authority, The other firms involved are September, have been taken up. Among the wilder accusations have aided by a substantial EEC grant. Solvay,ofWestGermany, Now city officials are planning a been that imported beers cause Degussa, ofBelgium and new publicity campaign to try to let German beer drinkers to become -West Briton and Germany, and two French more youngsters know about the impotent. Royal Cornwall Gazette companies, Air Liquide and scheme. The judges will have to decide Atochem. whether the chemical additives do -Birmingham Post indeed endanger the health of Avon Friends of the Earth have -Daily Telegraph . consumers. been offered an EEC grant to develop environment education -Kangaroo News projects in schools. Bristol Euro MP Mr Richard Cottrell said today that the Local people with profitable ideas European Commission in Brussels are to be the main beneficiaries of has offered a£1,500 grant to EEC funds for areas badly-hit by Friends of the Earth to develop closures in the steel industry. their work in the county's schools. The European Community is Topics under study include acid shifting cash handouts from improving infrastructure into rain and ~llution. helping the small man create a new -Bristol Evening Post industrial revolution. The EEC and the Welsh Office announced yesterday a £9.2 million Los Angeles Olympics javelin gold handoutoverthenextfiveyears medalist Tessa Sanderson opened based on the new principles. Next the Southwark Women's Training January, the cash available will be Workshop in Union·Street, boosted, and most of it will be paid Southwark, last week. out on the new basis. The workshop trains up to 50 Most of the new money is from women at a time on six-month Brussels. The Welsh Office, who intensive courses in carpentry and will administer the scheme, will joinery, which take them up to supply £1.9 million. first-year City and Guilds standard The Common Market has agreed -Western Mail and helps them find jobs to donate £600,000 to ensure that a afterwards. The EEC is giving £7.7 million £2 million shipment of emergency The workshop is joindy funded from its agricultural fund to 63 supplies, paid for by a fund-raising by Southwark Council and the projects in the UK, including campaign in North East England, An ECC-wide lottery to raise EEC's European Social Fund, who £2.9 million special aid for the pig is distributed in Ethiopia after it money for a Community cultural granted £218,000 and £105,000 processing industry, the Ministry arrived on 26 January. fund is now under serious respectively. All the trainees are of Agriculture has announced. consideration. It would pay out big aged over 25, and instructors are all -Sunday Telegraph monthly prizes while providing the female. -Press Association cash needed to endow such The Greek government yesterday schemes as an EEC equivalent of -South London Press announced a ban on driving for the Nobel Prizes and to preserve Massive numbers of farmers should over-weight people because they the European heritage. be pensioned off with EEC help to are more prone to heart attacks and The idea was launched in Small businesses are to benefit cut the cost of surpluses, it was have slower reactions. Brussels by M. Max Gallo, French from an extra £2 million in suggested yesterday. Mr Kostas Aslanis, the Under representative on the so-called Common Market aid for There are eight million farmers Secretary for the Ministry of Citizen's Europe Committee, Merseyside. in the Common Market, but only Transport, said that no driving which is drawing up ideas for The cash is linked to the loss of four million are needed to meet the licences would be given to anyone making the Community more shipbuilding jobs in the region, and needs of the Community and more than 70 per cent heavier than meaningful to its taxpayers. is part of a new £101 million exports agriculture Ministers were normal. M. Gallo, who is in charge of the package unveiled by Industry told. He said the action was being cultural sector of the committee's Minister Mr Norman Lamont. The idea came from Denmark's taken in accordance with EEC work, said he would like to see a In England as a whole, £40 farm Minister, Neils Kofoed, who legislation, and following the monthly draw televised by million of the cash is being said that it would be cheaper for the recent conference of European Eurovision from a different city .chanelled through grants to small EEC to help pay farmers an early transport ministers, which heard each month. firms encouraging them to seek pension at 55. Others could be that Greece had had the worst A £1 bet by each EEC citizen professional help on marketing and persuaded to switch to work in traffic accident rate in theWestern each year would allow for prize financial management. tourism or forestry. world for the past 13 years. money in excess of £200 million. -Liverpool Daily Post -Daily Mail -Daily Telegi'aph -TheTimes 24