The redrafting partly reflects criticism from UNICE, the European business lobbying associaton. UNICE Secretary-General Philippe de Buck complained in a 3 October 2006 letter to Barroso that the draft Green Paper revealed "an implicit agenda of harmonisation of labour law [...] in contradiction with the flexicurity approach".
At the same time, UNICE is being accused by trade unions of trying to sabotage a discussion on flexicurity. Talking to EurActiv, ETUC Confederal Secretary Catelene Passchier accused UNICE of wanting "a debate on flexibility without a debate taking place at the same time on social security", adding that UNICE was "only paying lip service" to the concept of flexicurity. Simon Wilson, director of the Social Platform, said it was "outrageous that the Commission should be in thrall to UNICE to such an extent that it cannot even publish a paper which simply asks questions about the kind of policies that Europe needs".
The Green Paper will be linked to a public consultation on possible common approaches to challenges that European labour law has to meet. Its publication was initially foreseen for 13 September 2006, but has been postponed several times due to conflicts between DG Employment and Social Affairs, DG Enterprise, DG Internal Market and also involving Commission President Barroso on the paper's contents.
