EUROPEAN UNEMPLOYMENT AND LESSONS FOR IRELAND

The trends and reasons for the rise in EU unemployment in the last two decades are analysed against the background of the European Commission's (1993) White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness, Employment. In particular, the labour market problems confronting the poorer peripheral states of the EU (Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain) are addressed and the relevance of the Commission's proposals for them assessed. The adequacy of the EU White Paper in tackling the problem of unemployment is questioned on two grounds. First, the powers necessary to tackle the unemployment problem rest with each Member State and, with a lack of consensus on the appropriate policies, the potential for EU-wide action is hampered. Second, the particular labour market problems of the peripheral states (low participation, underemployment and low incomes) are not accurately reflected in the White Paper discussions on the scale of unemployment in the EU. The paper concludes with a call for more extensive regional policies at Community level.