Motion no: 39
According to the EU, European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) are a new approach to EU research and innovation. They purport to be challenge-driven, focusing on societal benefits and a rapid modernisation of the associated sectors and markets. In reality they now present a new and real danger to public services. Corruption is already widespread in procurement processes. There is a very real danger that EIPs can be used as licences to formalise unacceptable practices. Using an EIP a public body can work with only one provider to develop a new way of delivering a service, and can then sign the provider up without any form of competition. This will open the doors to the multi-national companies who are on the look-out for any conceivable opportunity to bribe their way in. The EU has also created another opportunity for potential corruption. If a contract or contractor collapses there is now no requirement to go to competition again. The public body can simply find a provider that meets the basic selection requirements and give them the work without any competitive process. Conference calls on the incoming Executive to spearhead a cross-national trade union challenge to the EU through all the trade union structures available to us to end this growing promotion of corrupt outsourcing. Adopted
UNISON
