EU Commissioner Barnier to EuroFora: Busines'Transparency for Ethical Growth, against Social Dumping

Trustworthy vis a vis EU Citizens and Ethical, i.e. Responsible Business, practicing rules of Transparency which might also help avoid Corruption and/or Social Dumping by violations of Social and Human Rights in 3rd Countries, f.ex. on Natural Resources' extraction and Forestry, can better boost a European Model of Sustainable Growth, replied in susbtance experienced EU Commissioner in charge of the Common Market, and former Minister, Michel Barnier, to "EuroFora"s question, during EU Parliament's plenary in Strasbourg, at the eve of an important EU Summit in Brussels due to design the dynamics of an EU Economic Strategy out of the Global Crisis.

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 - "On a particular aspect, in substance, this package, if we understood well, going well beyond a careful way to Simplify things for SMEs, concerns much more Big Corporations, many with an International or even Global chain of production, which extends in various Countries", "EuroFora" observed in our question from the outset.

=> "In this regard, could we conclude that a useful contribution of this package for "Responsible Business" might also be to help avoid what is called "Social Dumping" (and/or abusive Outsourcing), when, eventually, grave Violations of Social and/or Human Rights , eventually, exist in some 3rd Countries ?", we asked.

+ I.e "something which might also help EU Growth by avoiding Unfair Competition", "EuroFora" pointed out, speaking at the eve of a crucial EU Summit, tomorrow Wednesday in Brussels, notoriously due to search ways to relaunch EU Economy in a sustainable way.
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BARNIER :
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    The experienced, long-time EU Commissioner and former Minister, Michel Barnier, started to reply to "'EuroFora"s question with an Overall view allowing to better situate its particular target, (after Tajani sharply invited him to reply in the name of all 3 EU Commissioners involved by the adopted package) :

    - "This is a great project on the Social Responsibility of Businesses, that (EU Commission's vice-President) Antonio Tajani has led with (EU Commissioner) Mr. Andors and that I supported, which is also intelligently monitored by (British Socialist MEP) Mr. Howitt at an International level, not only European, since it implies the definition of (Global) Criteria",  Barnier smiled looking at Howitt sitting right in front of "EuroFora", and obviously guessing that we had spoken before formulating our question...

    >>> - " It concerns the issue of the place and role of Businesses in Society, (including) what a corporation does inside it, and outside, f.ex. for the Environment, the level of Salaries, the Quality of Social Dialogue, what affects the challenge of Climate,  etc., and, then, I think that there is also Transparency", observed Barnier, pointing closer towards "EuroFora"'s specific question, (Comp. supra).

    - I.e. "the Duty for Transparency, the Duty to Fight for an Ethical Behavior, reduce all Risks of Corruption", etc., since "we are in this project for the Social and Environmental Responsibility of European Businesses", EU Commissioner Barnier stressed, apparetly replying Positively to our query.

    -  Thus, "probably we can link here what I present as a big Project on Transparency for mining or forestry Industries", Barnier revealed, becoming more concrete :

    => In practice, some "600 European Corporations, registered in Stock Markets among Big Industries, will be concerned by this aim of Transparency", he anounced.

    Transparency should go both "Country by Country", and "Project by Project, so that we may know how much each (Big Industrial Corporation in extractive business) payes, to whom, and for what, in each (3rd) Country, where it extracts Natural Resources", the competent EU Commissioner concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s question.
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    + Barnier expained further his reply to "EuroFora"s question after a  Collegue from "Radio Liberty" got interested to clarify if such Rules will be imposed, or not, and why they focus on Mining Companies :

    - Concerning, in particular the Rules on Transparency, added  Barnier, "the day that they will be adopted (also) by EU Council of Ministers and EU Parliament, they will be Obligatory", and "the sooner it will be, the better".

    - Because, "in the Past, when we have seen Problems of Lack of Transparency, particularly on Governance, such as Corruption, etc., , they concerned often Big Industries in the extractive (Mining) sector, as well as on Forestry exploitation", he explained.  That's why "we shall Review" this mechanism in  three Years, and, meanwhle, "we have targetted mainly those big industries which work on Natural Resources' extraction (f.ex. Mines) and on Forestry exploitation" to begin.

    However,  for the time being, the Package grouped under the collective heading of "Responsible Business", as EU Commission's President Barroso wished, as it is presented today together by 3 EU Commissioners (Andors, Barnier and Tajani), is not all obligatory, since at least 2 parts of it have the legal form of "Communications", and not Directives or Regulations, officially expressing EU's position, and hoping that the European businesses will endorse its values, EU Commission's vice-President, Andrea Tajani went on to clarify.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

    Thus, we have 2 texts who are due to become Legislation, i.e. obligatory, concerning mainly the Transparency of some 600 big Corporations, and 3 Communications which seriously open an important Debate for "Responsible Business" in Europe, in the name of a "Competitive Social Market Economy", where every one of these 4 words has its meaning, the competent EU Commissioner Michel Barnier concluded, (pointing thus on the future "obigatory" nature of the rules concerned by "EuroFora"s question : Comp. supra).

    Such moves are due to be further promoted, at an International and Global level, by people like long-time British MEP Howitt, who, as he told earlier "EuroFora", is personaly contributing inside relevant OECD and/or UNO Collective bodies to Monitor Social Responsibility of Big Corporations Worldwide.

(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. Watch out for a possible Final Version, more accurate and complete, asap).