The Visegrad countries and Romania are reported to have expressed discontent with the interinstitutional agreement on review of the EU rules on the posting (secondment) of workers at a meeting of national experts at the Council on Thursday 8 March.
Representatives of the European Parliament and Council of the EU reached provisional agreement in principle in early March. Parliament won its way on: keeping the transposition time at two years (the Council wanted four years); - application of non-universal collective agreements; - extension of the scope of application of the directive to non-genuine posted workers (see EUROPE 11972).
The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council’s concessions are criticised by a number of member states, particularly Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. The agreement that was reached has been rather well received by western member states that host the posted workers. Some clarifications have been requested by a number of countries, including France.
A diplomatic source says, however, that the provisional agreement has a good chance of being backed by national ambassadors to the EU (COREPER) on Wednesday 14 March and should get through because no blocking minorities are in sight.
Another EU source says that the member states won their way over two key issues: the maximum duration of secondment (twelve months, extendable to eighteen months) and lex specialis for international road drivers. Additions and clarifications may, however, be requested which do not jeopardise the common approach.
A new trialogue (interinstitutional) meeting will take place on Monday 19 March, which will discuss the text’s recitals.
At COREPER on Friday 2 March, several national delegations criticised the fact that the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU had made a common public statement with representatives of the EEP and the European Commission, announcing the provisional agreement (see EUROPE 11974). The common statement aimed to put extra pressure on the member states to get them to back the provisional agreement, explained a number of sources. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)