The EU Council begins work on the Directive on fair minimum wages in the EU. A first debate in the working party on 6 November and another in the presence of the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper I) on Wednesday 11 November, revealed the scepticism of several national delegations as to the relevance of the legal basis chosen by the European Commission.
At the meeting of the working party, several delegations, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden, but also some Eastern Member States, such as Slovakia, requested a written opinion from the Legal Service to analyse the appropriateness of the legal basis chosen by the European Commission, namely Article 153(1) and (2) (see EUROPE 12591/8, 12589/1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
While some national delegations are said to have insisted on the need to have an opinion quickly, the Legal Service reportedly explained that it would take time, due to the complexity and novelty of the subject. No specific date has been given for the time being.
The EU Council is said to be divided schematically into three groups: - enthusiasts, such as France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg or Italy; - reserved, but are ready to work on the text, are the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; - finally, the hostile ones, which include the Scandinavian countries, but also Hungary.
Delegations will resume discussions in a working party on Friday 13 November. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)