Better decision-making for a fairer Europe
Need to ensure improvements to the European Union's decision-making processes with a view to guarantee increased transparency and accountability, reinforce the communitarian approach and strengthen the powers of the European Parliament and the European political dimension. Fully respecting that taxation policy is primarily a national competence, the ETUC supports the move to Qualified Majority Voting also in the area of corporate, capital and environment taxation and own resources. The EU should proceed with the activation of the ‘passerelle clause’ in the Social Policy Field but to do so with caution and with full respect for the role of European social partners and their agreements and include in the Council decision implementing the ‘passerelle clause’ a non-regression clause. Social partners should be involved in the decision to activate the ‘passerelle clause’ on the case-by-case basis and an incremental approach should be used beginning with the adoption of the ‘general passerelle clause in Article 48(7) TEU’ in the framework of Article 19 TFEU (non-discrimination).