Britain and Spain Form Alliance to Reform EU Labour Markets

The UK and Spain have joined forces in a joint declaration ahead of the Vienna summit, urging the European Union to adopt restructuring policies to create jobs, including those on education and welfare. The move is seen as a challenge to the more regulated approach favored by some EU governments. The joint declaration was signed by Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, with the support of Downing Street.

Key Takeaways:

• The UK and Spain are calling on the EU to reform its labour markets to create jobs, citing restructuring policies adopted in Britain and Spain.
• The joint declaration is seen as a challenge to the more regulated approach favored by some EU governments, including Germany and France.
• The UK and Spain are advocating for policies to boost entrepreneurship and job creation, citing their success in creating three-quarters of the new jobs in the EU last year.
• The move reflects Britain's concern that some European governments are giving flexible markets a lower priority.
• The joint declaration was signed by Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, with the support of Downing Street.
• The joint declaration is a further reflection of Britain's cooperation with other EU governments, including France and Germany, on specific policy initiatives.

Statistics:

• The UK and Spain were responsible for three-quarters of the new jobs created in the EU last year.
• The joint declaration was made in anticipation of the Vienna summit.
• The move is seen as a challenge to the more regulated approach favored by Germany and France, which have been criticized for prioritizing job creation schemes over flexible markets.

Sources:

• The Times, 1998
• Video speech by Tony Blair relayed to a Spanish-British employment conference in Seville