During the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper) on Wednesday 14 March, the member states renewed the negotiating mandate for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU to continue talks with the European Parliament on the posted workers directive. Many questions and objections were raised, particularly from member states in Eastern Europe.
During the night of 28 February to 1 March, the co-legislators reached an agreement that contained the two main red lines of the Council. These include maintaining the Lex Specialis for international road transport and a maximum posting of 12 months with a possible six-month extension (see EUROPE 11972).
The three points in the common understanding were also discussed with the Council's legal services: the regime applicable to workers in the international road transport system, extending the directive's scope to non-genuine workers, and the two-year transposition period. Several delegations considered this duration period too short.
Poland indicated during the talks that it was unable to support the compromises that have been reached. It is true that Warsaw did not support the general approach of the Employment and Social Council on 23 October last either (see EUROPE 11889).
The other member states in the Visegrad Group expressed reservations and are waiting for the final agreement before taking a position on the matter. These member states called for support from the legal services to clarify certain points in the compromise reached, particularly with regard to the road transport systems applicable.
Member states in Western Europe did not have any problem with the contents of the agreement in question and considered that it was impossible for any compromise to be completely satisfactory.
The Bulgarian Presidency can therefore continue the inter-institutional negotiations and possibly close this legislative dossier during a meeting on 19 March. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)