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In the Opinion the ESC calls for greater precision in the criteria for representation by organisations; i.e. that a clear and systematic articulation of the idea of greater representation, and its effects for agricultural organisations, is missing from the Draft Bill. Furthermore, the ESC believes that the Draft Bill suffers from a certain ambiguity and incoherence which would need to be clarified, relating to the terminology used for referring to the representation of professional agricultural organisations. With regard to the creation of state consultative bodies which appears in the Draft Bill (the National Council for Food and Agriculture and the General Committee for Agricultural Production), the ESC considers that there could be cause for confusion as to the nature and the individual duties of each body. In this sense, the ESC believes that the Draft Bill should outline the duties and responsibilities of these bodies with greater precision.

The report indicates that the agricultural sector finds itself in a phase of stagnation, which contrasts with the dynamism exhibited by the Spanish economy. The text highlights that the agricultural sector has been trying to adapt to the impact of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and greater market liberalisation during recent decades. These processes are creating a context of instability between farmers and stock-breeders, due to the continued loss of income, in general terms, encountered by the production sector.According to the ESC report, The Common Agricultural Policy has not made enough of a contribution so far to help to correct the market, geographic and social imbalances that continue to have an effect on agriculture. With respect to employment, it is indicated that a notable depression has been experienced and that there has been a change in its composition in favour of the salaried employee, which has gone from 40.5% to 47.5% of the total workforce. Likewise, the increase in average remuneration for salaried employees in the agricultural sector has been very much lower than that recorded for the rest of the economy.The ESC alerts us to the risk that, by maintaining the present trend in the balance between income/expenditure in the sector, there will continue to be a move away from some activities, with the resulting effects on employment, the social fabric and the environment, as well as on economic development in the preservation of certain rural areas. With regard to the fishing sector, the ESC notes that there is an EU policy with regard to fishing restrictions (intended to put a halt to problems such as overfishing or illegal fishing) and at the same time costs have increased, which, in the opinion of the ESC, sets out clearly the difficulties of the fishing sector in translating current increases in costs, such as fuel, into first sale prices.Proposals of the ESC:For the agricultural sector, the ESC calls for public support for its modernisation and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must continue to be a priority at the heart of the European Union, when the time comes to debate Community budgets from 2013. In the opinion of the ESC, measures designed to maintain market income must be promoted and public aid must place emphasis on aspects such as the modernisation of operations and agricultural companies, management tools, the improvement of commercial structures that are appropriate for the sector, the establishment of greater efficiency and market transparency, etc, In short, these measures guarantee suitable income or remuneration for people who work in the production sector.With regard to the fishing sector, the ESC considers it necessary to promote vigorous policies between different administrations as well as economic and social partners, to enable a rational and sustainable use of resources through seasonal suspension of fishing, closed seasons, fishing quotas, etc, seeking an increase in production and efficiency which would no doubt lead in turn to an increase in the level of income and quality of life for the sector as a whole. Moreover, the ESC proposes to improve the control of imports so that they are subject to the same demands and requirements that the Community production standard sets for the fleets of member states.

The ESC values positively, in general terms, the various public initiatives that have been proposed for sustainable development. The ESC believes it is important to consider a strategy for sustainable development not only as a challenge, with demands, costs and significant changes, but also, and above all, as a perceived opportunity in relation to innovative technology and improvements in production and social processes.The approved text indicates that the new scenario of reduced growth in the Spanish economy should be taken into consideration, in order to put a value on the future repercussions that the current situation could have on initiatives, not only in terms of economic policy but also in environmental and social protection, as shown by the EEDS. With reference to social sustainability, the opinion proposes to make a specific mention of the management of demographic change and migration levels, due to the impact that both have on sustainability in general and, in particular, on different educational and multicultural aspects.In its opinion, the ESC maintains that, given that sustainable development policies are medium and long term and need full integration, a high level of political and social consensus is required. The text, that describes sustainable development as ?genuine State policy?, considers that it should have the explicit support of a broad majority of the groups that make up the Spanish political scene, social partners and citizens. In this sense, and taking account of the concerns for potentially adverse effects, which could have some results on competitiveness and employment, the ESC believes that it would be necessary to establish the mechanisms for participation with the economic and social partners. Note: The text submitted for the ESC?s Opinion sets out to be the Spanish contribution to the European Strategy for Sustainable Development. The latter is a long-term strategy, which, in conjunction with the Lisbon strategy, combines policies for sustainable development from an environmental, economic and social point of view with the aim of improving the well-being and quality of life of present and future generations in a sustainable manner.

This summary report analyses the matching of labour supply and demand, as well as workers? mobility and labour supply for the unemployed and other groups currently outside the labour force in Finland. The report, compiled by the Secretariat of the Economic Council, contains an ssessment of the current situation regarding recruitment problems, as well as an overall review of the factors affecting job-matching, occupational and regional worker mobility and general incentives for easing labour supply problems. In addition, the policy response to mismatch problems is discussed. The report draws upon three independent studies commissioned by the secretariat for this purpose.