Brussels, 20/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - The way is almost clear for the creation of a European platform for cooperation in tackling undeclared work (see EUROPE 11176), after member state representatives to the EU (Coreper) approved the provisional agreement on Friday 20 November between the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Under the terms of this agreement reached on 11 November, the Council has been successful in its efforts to have the platform, which will meet at least twice a year, only “to encourage” cooperation (essentially through sharing best practice and developing evaluations) between the member states, without its having any operational power. Ultimately the member states will participate to the extent that they want. Parliament, for its part, was successful in retaining the legal basis proposed by the Commission, having social partner involvement (4 permanent representatives and 14 observers) and ensuring that each member state could nominate only one representative (and a replacement). (Original version in French by Jan Kordys)