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CONTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION

The purpose of the European Convention is to consider key questions about the future development of the European Union, and to identify possible answers.The European Convention invites organisations representing civil society to participate in the meeting of the European Convention on 24 and 25 June 2002. In this view, EFES sent the following contribution to the Convention:

CONTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION
Employee ownership can bring a substantial contribution to economic and social development and to employment in Europe. The generalization of employee ownership and participation improves growth, adding up to 1% to the national product, on an annual basis. In terms of employment on the European scale, this is potentially millions of additional jobs.
Throughout Europe, collective social responsibility should see employee ownership as a major element in the European strategy for employment.
Employee ownership and participation make a significant contribution to economic and social progress. They combine excellence in labour productivity and business performance with a broad, constructive social  contribution. They are growing all over the world.
Employee owners are neither just employees nor just shareholders but co- entrepreneurs. They are creating a new voice and seeking to make it heard at its rightful level, they are new social partners.
In this field, Europe is behind the times.
Some Member States of the European Union are still indifferent or negative to employee share ownership and this contributes to the trans-national obstacles that hamper its development. This attitude helps to justify European institutions in their wait-and-see stance of reinforcing the status quo.
The European Federation of Employee Share Ownership calls for stronger community initiatives aiming for economic and social development and integration of the European Union.
Following the European Parliament in its Resolution of January 1998, we call for the creation of a European Institute for Employee Ownership and Participation.
Marc Mathieu, Secretary General, May 29, 2002

Organisations of the civil society have a main opportunity to provide input to the European debate  through the Convention’s Forum. This is a network which allows member-organisations to submit contributions on any aspect of the future of the European Union, and through this network, to influence the work of the Convention itself. You can find out more about the Forum by accessing directly its own website on http://www.europa.eu.int/futurum/index_en.htm