Statements by László ANDOR (Hungary), Commissioner-designate for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, during his hearing at EP Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in Brussels.

Brussels

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

hearing

ANDOR, László (HU, EC)

2010 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of László ANDOR (T)

Hearing of László ANDOR (Hungary), Commissioner-designate for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: extracts

Exterior view of the European Parliament, Brussels

Cutaways on Arrival of Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, greetings with Prevenche BERES, Chairperson of EP Committee

Cutaways of Laszlo Andor before the hearing (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, My first priority is to find a balanced way out of the crisis , so we find ourselves in a stronger position than before. Immediate action is required. our greatest task must be to stop job losses and get people to work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, Any legislative initiative will require evidence based social impact assessment like on the revision of the working time directive and we will review the way the post of the working directive is interpreted and implemented.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, It should not be just about thriving for more growth and more jobs it also means work to improve the lives of the most vulnerable, for instance the ROMA, not letting these people down is a matter of responsibility for society , it is about solidarity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, For the working time directive also I think it is very important to have a social impact assessment and leave time for social partners to deal with the subject. We also have to bear in mind the diversity of the European social model, or better speak about models. We also have to bear in mind subsidiarity and I think it is very important to be realistic at the expectations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, I am an economist, that is true, but I don't see labour as other commodities.I think when we discuss the price of cars, books, furniture, there is much greater romm for the free movement of the prices as compared the proce of labour.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, Concerning immigration I am clearly not in favour of the fortress concept I believe that immigration should be seen as a complex problem in a global context in the context of the global economy and should be seen not only as a problem but as a source.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, There are possibilities for a better regulation. More autonomous regulation of the Social Fund but I don't think it should be or could be seperated from the concept of Cohesion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, It's true that in the recent experience, especially in the countries where the immigration regime have been more liberal there are now difficulties, the first generation but also the second generation can not really integrate with the mainstream society and we have to pay more attention to this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, Now what we have seen in the crisis is that the EC made the right decisions concerning the stability and the growth pact when the decisions were made about the fiscal policies during the crisis period , so I think it is important to have the common rules but the application of the rules always have to respond to the actual circumstances.

SOUNDBITE (English), Laszlo Andor. Commissioner designate for Employment, social affairs and inclusion, When we bring back the working time Directive , We have to have a new approach and the sectorial approach can be one of the aspects which could be new. We have to learn from the difficulties from the previous working time directive, the opt out in itself is not a view I think the opt out is a reflexion of different realities in different Member States, and we have to take that into account.