Brussels, 31/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Ten member states (the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Romania, Sweden, Croatia and Slovenia) have written to the European Commission informing it of their opposition to possible European regulation in the hairdressing sector. Although an agreement was indeed signed between the different social partners concerned last April (see EUROPE 10608), the countries that have indicated their opposition to the agreement claim that there are no benefits to be had from a possible European directive for this sector. A rapid rearguard action, therefore, appears to have been launched, even though the Commission has not itself yet assessed the agreement put forward by the social partners and does not appear to be in a hurry to have it submitted to the Council of the EU.
The agreement signed between workers and employers' representatives in the European hairdressing sector defines orientations to adopt for a single framework that would ensure a healthy and safe environment in all hairdressing salons in the EU. This would therefore require equipment to protect the skin and for hairdressing salons to provide appropriate ventilation systems, as well as introduce a general ban on wearing high heels. An entire series of measures is effectively advocated by social partners for whom the cost would not exceed the equivalent of 1% of annual turnover for the average salon, according to social partners' estimates.
The Commission, however, has still not yet examined this agreement. No timetable has been set out but the European Commission still has to give its opinion on three points: (1) is this agreement compatible with EU law? (2) What are the financial and administrative implications of European regulation in this sector? (3) Is this agreement legitimate and what level of representation do the signatories of it have?
The ten member states opposing it consider that it is not even necessary for the Commission to examine these questions, given that these states do not believe this sector should be regulated by the EU. In a press release published on Tuesday 30 October, the Party of European Socialists (PES) spoke out against this attitude displayed by the member states not because it is imperative to provide a framework in the sector at European level but because the letter from the ten states, “is the first example of an attempt by ministers to block the social dialogue process after an agreement has been reached between trade unions and employers' representatives”. The PES is therefore calling on the Commission not to be intimidated and to put forward the agreement concluded at the next meeting of the Employment and Social Affairs Council. (JK/transl.fl)