Brussels, 29/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The posting of workers will ultimately be discussed during the meeting of labour ministers on 9 December. National ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) in fact managed to agree at least on that point on Friday 29 November. There is still division among member states, however, with a blocking minority that is hardly willing to make concessions.
The French ambassador presented the last two proposals (see EUROPE 10973), which are supported by two groups of states and which aim to allow a political agreement in principle to be reached on the proposal relating to implementation of Directive 96/71/EC on posted workers. Despite the fact that Finland and Sweden have joined them, the proposals were described as “unacceptable” by certain ambassadors representing the blocking minority (United Kingdom, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia). The latter continue to give preference to the text drafted by the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council in October, which clearly differs on two points compared to the latest proposals (on national control measures and the principle of joint and several responsibility). (JK/transl.jl)