In an opinion adopted on Tuesday 20 June (12 for, 9 against, 2 abstentions), MEPs at the legal affairs committee (JURI) proposed to reduce the "posted workers" directive’s application period from 24 months to 18 months.
Once again, the JURI committee appears to share the same position as the Western European member states. After having adopted a positive opinion in favour of extending the legal basis of the said directive, by a whisker (see EUROPE 11807), the same committee hammered this message home with a new opinion, this time on the whole directive.
Therefore, the text adopted and submitted by Jean-Marie Cavada (ALDE, France) proposes to reduce the duration of the directive and also toughen up the definition of remuneration and derogation conditions to the directive, with the introduction of six-monthly controls. It also includes the road transport sector and subcontractors. The opinion will therefore be almost the antithesis of the one adopted earlier at the internal market and consumer protection (IMCO) committee. Several parliamentary sources said that the latter was more on the lines of the Eastern European member states (11788).
Adoption was no done deal and we were informed that debates continued to the very last minute. The EPP, including its German delegation and the ECR voted against. The ENF abstained instead of voting against as expected. According to one parliamentary source, this was done to avoid getting bad press at a national level, particularly in France where the progress of the directive is being closely followed.
The text will certainly please the co-rapporteurs of the report at the employment and social affairs (EMPL) committee, where negotiations will continue after the summer recess and after it pushed back the vote planned for July to September or October (see EUROPE 11810). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)