The European Parliament’s co-rapporteurs on the Minimum Wage Directive shared relative optimism that interinstitutional negotiations with the EU Council could be concluded by the end of May, at a meeting of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) on Thursday 28 April.
The two co-rapporteurs, Dennis Radtke (EPP, Germany) and Agnes Jongerius (S&D, Netherlands), acknowledged that there were still major differences on the crux of the Directive (Articles 4, 5 and 6). This was still the case at the sixth interinstitutional negotiation meeting (see EUROPE 12940/17). However, they reported a real willingness on the part of the French Presidency of the EU Council to close this file under its mandate, allowing them to be cautiously optimistic about the chances of finding a “balanced agreement” quickly.
The next meeting with the EU Council will, they say, be held on 10 May. They hope to reach a provisional agreement at an 8th ‘open-ended meeting’ by the end of May. The aim is to define a text before the Employment and Social Policy Council (EPSCO) meeting scheduled for 16 June. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)