Brussels, 18/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 18 March, the European Parliament's employment and social affairs committee, albeit reluctantly, endorsed the informal agreement (see EUROPE 11029) reached with the Council on revising the 1996 directive on posted workers. According to some Conservative and Social Democratic MEPs, this is a poor compromise. The plenary session vote is planned for April.
On Tuesday 18 March, during the last meeting of the employment and social affairs committee before the European elections, the EP's head of negotiations, Danuta Jazlowiecka (EPP, Poland), provided a comprehensive examination of the results of the inter-institutional negotiations and concluded that a good compromise had finally been reached. She was also backed in this by the committee chairwoman, Pervenche Berès (S&D, France).
Before the vote in favour of the compromise (30 votes to 11 against and 3 abstentions), the shadow rapporteurs and political group coordinators gave their opinions on this compromise, which did not receive total support from the EPP and S&D Groups. Almost identical opinions were expressed by Csaba Ory (EPP, Hungary) and Stephen Hughes (S&D, United Kingdom), who both referred to a “poor compromise”.
They believe that this text introduces further legal uncertainty on the matter, particularly with regard to the possibility of member states being able to put in place new national monitoring measures and administrative requirements or not (Article 9). Views were also diametrically opposed on whether there should be an open or closed list, they both said. Ory said that the debate had to be left open and this dossier should not be closed in first reading. Alejandro Cercas (S&D, Spain), however, said that they ought to examine a new directive instead. (JK)