Having met in Rome, on June 4th 2004, Unions from the Mediterranean Group wish to side with and express their support to Belgian Unions - FGTB and CSC -, ETUC and the Common Front on the occasion of the demonstration that will be held tomorrow in Brussels against the Bolkestein Directive.

The draft directive on "services within the Internal Market" aims at imposing on the 25 EU member countries competition rules in all activities and services, with no boundaries at all. The European Commission is willing to turn the EU into a vast single market, thus forgetting the European social model and through uncontrolled deregulation of all public services, with no exceptions.

Free competition, disrespectful of national legislations, poses a serious threat to workers, namely to civil servants. Furthermore, the Directive contents will undermine collective bargaining, as well as any agreements reached by national labour unions with national authorities.

Therefore, in lieu of making an attempt towards fairer globalisation, the European Commission is fostering greater deregulation, thus becoming the staunchest supporter of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) within the framework of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

We therefore fully support the demonstrations organised by Belgian Unions. We are willing to urge unions from the Mediterranean Group to inform their member workers about the contents of the Directive. We also ask EPSU and ETUC to organise demonstrations against this directive across the EU.

THE MEDITERRANEAN GROUP