The fate of the provisional agreement reached with representatives of the European Parliament on workers on digital platforms remained uncertain on Thursday 21 December, as our last newsletter of 2023 went to press, while the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union could seek the endorsement of the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) on Friday 22 December (see EUROPE 13313/11).
On Wednesday 20 December, the French Labour Minister, Olivier Dussopt, announced France’s intention not to support an agreement which, in his view, does not respect the terms of the EU Council’s mandate of 12 June. On Thursday, several other Member States could not yet be counted among the group of countries able to support the outcome of these negotiations.
Sources have told EUROPE that, in the absence of a qualified majority, the Spanish Presidency could also decide not to seek the agreement of the Member States on 22 December, in order to preserve the chances of confirming the agreement at the beginning of 2024 under the Belgian Presidency.
This option, which was not confirmed by the Spanish Presidency on Thursday, is not considered relevant by everyone. The text resulting from the negotiations with the European Parliament cannot be amended by the Member States alone, and it is supported as it stands by all the European Parliament’s political groups.
On Thursday, some sources expressed scepticism about the Spanish Presidency’s chances of obtaining a qualified majority.
The expected opposition - at the time of going to press - could come from some six countries, including France. The position of four or five Member States remained uncertain, with Germany expected to abstain and potentially Italy as well, although this information had not been confirmed to us. The countries traditionally supporting this agreement and directive are the three Benelux states, Slovenia and Portugal.
On 15 December, the countries that were having the most difficulty with the agreement were: France, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Hungary and Estonia. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)