Several member states are reported to have asked on Friday 30 June during the meeting of member states’ representatives to the European Union (COREPER) for postponement of the informal agreement reached on the first review of the directive on protection of workers from risks from exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work (Directive 200/37/EC).
Several European sources say the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU only communicated the agreement to various member states’ permanent representatives on Thursday evening, which left too little time for some fifteen member states, which want the decision on confirmation of the agreement postponed until Friday 7 July.
Countries tending to favour the agreement (Germany, France, Cyprus, Latvia and Slovenia) are reported to have asked for an assessment reserve due to lack of time. The same request was made by the United Kingdom and Italy, which want to revise the upper limits on chromium and hardwood dust. Romania and Poland are reported to oppose the informal agreement (see EUROPE 11819), while Portugal expressed reservations about hardwood dust.
It is said in the European institutions that the Maltese Presidency wanted at all costs to reach agreement on this question during its presidency and had scheduled a last-minute interinstitutional negotiating meeting. Some say that Malta wanted an extra agreement in principle to add to its scoreboard despite reservations expressed at the Council. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)