We have to stop the Brain Drain warns Minister for Labour Affairs, Frank Fahey

The much vaunted Lisbon process involved more than an economic agenda, the Minister for Labour Affairs, Frank Fahey, told the European Parliament today (Thursday 22 January 2004).

Speaking in Brussels to members of the Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, Mr Fahey said: "Lisbon is about social inclusion; it is about environmental protection; and above all, it is about delivering a better standard of living for all European citizens."

"Lisbon is all about making Europe the most dynamic and the most knowledged based economy in the world within the next six years. If that objective is to be achieved, we need to eliminate the rhetoric and start making decisions. We need to deliver on the most ambitious agenda ever put before our legislators and the Irish Presidency is determined to kick start that process.

Mr Fahey continued: "It is no cause of pride that four years into the process, we are actually further away from our objective than when we started. If we are to get to where we want to be by the year 2010, Europe will have to adopt an integrated approach to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Lisbon Agenda."

And Mr Fahey warned that the European labour market would have to become more adaptable and offer a better balance between flexibility and security in the workplace in order to retain its best and brightest talent.

He continued: "Investing greater resources in innovation, education, training and the development of human capital is key to stimulating growth and jobs. Given that priority, we have to seriously question why it is that 400,000 EU science graduates are actually engaged in research and innovation on the other side of the Atlantic. Some of Europe's best brains are working to make the US more competitive and that trend must be reversed and that talent must be enticed home," he said.

Better regulation and the development of affordable, quality childcare were among the issues he identified as being critical to reconciling and balancing work and family life and guaranteeing minimum standards for workers.

Mr Fahey told the Committee that the Irish Presidency would reflect on the prospects for progress on proposals relating to Temporary Agency Workers and would be prepared to look at any new ideas or initiatives that might contribute to resolving outstanding problems. He added that the review of the Working Time Directive would also be a priority during his period at the helm of the Employment and Social Policy Council.

And the Minister responded to Irish MEP Brian Crowley by suggesting that Europe could learn a great deal from the Irish model of Social Partnership which, he said, had underpinned much of Ireland's economic success of recent years. "A parallel process at European level has the potential to deliver huge benefits to members states in an enlarged Union," Mr Fahey said

ENDS/LA65