Brussels, 21/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - As we mentioned yesterday (page 9), the Council that reached a political agreement on the European company (SE in all languages, according to the Latin initials) also had an exchange of views on an important social directive, currently in deadlock: the directive on worker information-consultation in national companies. The exchange of views was of an informal nature, as the United Kingdom refused to have this issue included on the agenda without respecting the regulatory period of warning.
At her final press conference, French Minister Elisabeth Guigou, who chaired the session, said that most delegations had spoken of the importance they attached to this directive and that she had been able to note the "impatience of trade unions and players in civil society". That same morning, she had met a delegation led by the Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Jean Lapeyre, comprising a representative of the British trade unions, the TUC, who had "expressed the determination of British unions of seeing this proposal take effect". All ardently want an agreement on the text (see EUROPE of 18 and 19 December, p.8). Ms. Guigou noted that when factories close down, as General Motors has done in the UK, "workers learn of it through the press". She then added: "I noticed this morning that, in fact, the conditions for a qualified majority have been met and had we been able to vote, we would have had a decision. It's not really fair play on the part o the UK to dig into the depths of the Council's rules of procedure and come up with a rare procedure to oppose a specific point's being placed on the agenda. I regret", Guigou concluded, "that this procedural block should have prevented an examination of and vote on this text. The reason for this block is that there was a real chance of a qualified majority on this text, and thus no longer a minority block. I have confidence in the Swedish Presidency that it will gather together all the necessary conditions to allow for a vote".
EUROPE recalls that the United Kingdom and Ireland are against this directive, pointing to the principle of subsidiarity. The EU already has a worker information-consultation procedure in multinational companies; a similar procedure for national companies comes within the powers of Member States, say the two aforementioned Member States. Germany and Denmark had also had reservations, for other reasons (see EUROPE of 18 December and 10 December), and the four countries together made up a "minority block" preventing the directive's adoption. If the German and Danish reservations have been lifted, then there is the necessary qualified majority for the adoption.
The Council also had "round the table talks" on "partnerships" belonging to the "solidarity economy" (cooperatives, mutual companies). The agreement on the SE could rekindle work relating to the European statutes for these companies.