Cook: end to confrontation with Europe

Cook Sets Out Agenda For Key EU Summit

Mr Cook was speaking at a TUC conference in London which is discussing proposals for the inclusion of an 'employment chapter' in the new EU treaty due to be negotiated in June.

The Five Priorities

The Government's five key objectives are:

• Maintaining Nato
• Getting more votes for Britain in the Council of Ministers
• Achieving a settlement on quota hopping
• Retaining border controls
• Keeping Britain's veto on foreign and home affairs.

Monks: calling for an EU Employment Chapter

Though Mr Monks said the introduction of new regulations was now "probable" because of the Labour Government, Mr Blair warned at an EU council meeting on Friday that a new employment chapter must not become a "Social Chapter Mk II".

Mr Monk's move was part of a campaign by unions throughout Europe to ensure that an employment chapter becomes part of the new EU treaty to be signed at next month's summit in Amsterdam.

Mr Monks conceded that unions would never regain the powers they held before Mrs Thatcher came to power in 1979."Of course the rather cosy world that was shattered in Britain by the dark years of Thatcherism will never return."

Speaking after Mr Monks, the Dutch Social Affairs Minister Ad Melkert, too looked forward to the Amsterdam summit saying he believed decisions would be made in Amsterdam, which would see "a breakthrough to a Europe that is more than just a single market with a single currency. It will be a Europe integrated socially, and a Europe in which Great Britain will explicitly take part".

He welcomed the Government's commitment to sign the Social Chapter. "The British Government will play a leading role in the European Union," he said. "It will seek opportunities to increase employment, further enhance its competitive strengths, and sign the European Union's social protocol."

Mr Blair's wishes to re-establish full dialogue with Europe had been received with "sincere approval", said Mr Melkert. He pledged employment would remain high on the EU's agenda, but employment policy would not be dictated by Brussels.

"There should be no misunderstanding," he said. "Employment will primarily remain the responsibility of national member states themselves.