On Thursday 12 June, negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU Council on the revision of the rules for coordinating social security schemes were still assessing the possibility of meeting in trilogue next week in Strasbourg, on 16 or 17 June, as had been envisaged 10 days ago. However, late in the day, the Polish Presidency had apparently decided to postpone these negotiations.
While the trilogue on 3 June failed to make progress on the points of tension between the two mandates of the European Parliament and the EU Council (see EUROPE 13653/29), the Polish Presidency of the EU Council had already warned the Parliament on the morning of 12 June that the chances of progress remained too slim at present to organise a negotiating session next week.
In its view, it is now clear that achieving convergence between the positions of the Council and the European Parliament will be difficult, particularly on the open issues of applicable legislation and unemployment benefits for cross-border workers.
It also reportedly informed the Parliament that the current flexibility within the Council is insufficient to accept the agreement that the Parliament wants to push through.
According to our information, an exchange between the German European Parliament rapporteur, Gaby Bischoff (S&D), and the Polish Presidency took place on Thursday 12 June, and the rapporteur, supported by her team of shadow rapporteurs who had also met in the morning, indicated that she wanted to maintain the planned dates for negotiations, believing that it was still possible to reach an agreement and that it was therefore necessary to assume her responsibilities.
She is said to have wished to remain open to new Polish approaches, which would also take account of the European Parliament’s expectations.
The Polish Presidency is also said to have indicated that it needs hold discussions with the Polish ministers concerned. For the Parliament, it would be important, in any case, not to give in to pressure or to give the Presidency the impression that it is refusing to work towards an agreement.
The Parliament would also be prepared to hold a trilogue at a later date, still under the Polish Presidency, if necessary, according to sources.
On Tuesday 10 June, the Polish Presidency told an EU Council working party that it was not able to observe a fair degree of flexibility on the part of certain Member States on open issues, it insisted on Friday 13 June. Countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Sweden are said nevertheless to have expressed a desire to continue the work and go ahead with a trilogue.
However, the Presidency also reportedly indicated to delegations that it still found the Parliament’s red lines too numerous and not clearly defined.
The Parliament has always wanted specific treatment for the construction sector, which is prone to fraud, in the exemptions from prior notification for postings of less than three days. Demands were also reportedly made during negotiations on the transport sector.
The Parliament also wants the period for the export of unemployment benefits for cross-border workers who have paid contributions for at least 24 months in a country where they work to be longer than for other mobile workers.
Contacted by Agence Europe on 12 June, the Presidency indicated that it had worked hard to make progress on an issue that had been blocked for years. “We organised numerous technical meetings, obtained a revised negotiating mandate and relaunched the political discussions at a trilogue on 3 June. Our aim with the trilogue on 3 June was to relaunch the political dialogue, to understand the position of each party and to explore possible compromises. Instead, the Parliament has introduced new elements outside the Council’s mandate, making an already complex dossier even more difficult to resolve”.
The Presidency believes that “the European Parliament’s position lacks flexibility and is therefore not acceptable to the Council. The mandate given to the Presidency is a delicate balance, with a number of non-negotiable red lines that must be respected”.
At this stage, it does not see how to “reach an agreement that would gain sufficient support from the Member States. As the time remaining time for presidency is limited, we will now be concentrating on the issues that we can reasonably bring to a successful conclusion”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)