« Les multinationales » n’avaient pas l’air particulièrement effrayées par le rapport laudatif de l’UNICE, le lobby patronnal européen (dont le baron Ernest-Antoine Sellières est actuellement président), sur le sujet de la Constitution Européenne (lien http://nonmais.free.fr/docs/unicetce19p.pdf ). Les avancées sociales du TCE, pouvez-vous me les citer ? Les analystes de l’UNICE, pour leur part, n’avaient pas l’air particulièrement frappés de terreur :

UNICE welcomes the reference to a “highly competitive” Union. Social objectives as “aiming at full employment” were unavoidable due to the political composition of the Convention.

UNICE welcomes that “price stability” is stated as the main objective of the ECB and its independence is guaranteed.

UNICE is pleased that the provisions on EU resources do not make proposals with the view of introducing a European tax.

UNICE welcomes the fact that employment policies will remain consistent with the broad economic policy guidelines.

UNICE is satisfied that the Constitutional Treaty neither increases competences of the EU in the social chapter of the Treaty nor extends the use of QMV. Nevertheless, with a “passerelle clause” the Council may subject certain areas (protection of workers where their employment contract is terminated, representation and collective defence of the interests of workers and employers, conditions of employment for thirdcountry nationals legally residing in Union territory) to the ordinary legislative procedure.

Au sujet de la « Charte des droits fondamentaux », l’UNICE a pleinement saisi sa portée, et je ne peux m’empêcher de citer l’article afférent dans sa totalité :

Charter of fundamental rights

The Charter of Fundamental Rights is incorporated in Part II of the Constitutional Treaty. The substantive content of the Charter remains essentially unchanged from when it was drawn up. The incorporation of the Charter into the Constitutional Treaty raises the issue of its legal value and its subsequent interpretation by the European Court of Justice. To tackle these issues, several provisions clarifying the interpretation and application of the Charter have been introduced (Article II-112). It is pointed out that where the rights result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, those rights shall be interpreted in harmony with those traditions. Furthermore, those Charter principles implemented by legislative and executive acts adopted by the EU and the Member States when implementing EU law shall be judicially cognisable only in the interpretation of such acts and in the ruling on their legality. Full account is to be taken of national laws and practices as specified in this Charter. A specific reference has been also introduced regarding the explanatory statements by the Praesidium of the Convention that drafted the Charter, as guiding principles for the courts of the EU and the Member States. These statements restrain the interpretative power of national courts and of the European Court of Justice, and prevent the potential expansion of the scope of the rights guaranteed by the Charter under future case law. In order to ensure awareness of these new provisions, the preamble to the Charter also stresses the significance of the explanatory statements.

On ne saurait mieux dire que la fameuse charte n’est qu’une outre pleine de vent. Si l’on se souvient que ce document s’adressait aux chefs d’entreprise, on en saisit tout de suite ce qu’il signifie : « Votez, faites voter, soutenez le TCE ! Ses avancées sociales ne sont que de la poudre aux yeux, c’est un outil taillé sur mesure pour que nous puissions ensuite travailler à votre profit. »