Brussels, 17/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the slightly amended report of Dutch Green Theodorus Bouwman on worker protection in the event of the insolvency of their employer, the European Parliament stressed that the Member States can set limits on the liability of guarantee institutions but they have to be compatible with the social aim of the directive and take the various levels of claims into account (see EUROPE of 13/14 May, p.15). The EP calls on the Commission to publish a report o the implementation of the directive, particularly in terms of the new types of work that are emerging in the Member States, noting that Member States can extend the protection of salaried workers in the event of, for example, an employer permanently ceasing to make payments; they must take measures to ensure that guarantee institutions pay sums due to employees under employment contracts or employment relations, including damages for the severing of the work relation if this is laid down in national law; can set ceilings for payments made by guarantee institutions (but the ceilings must be high enough to ensure they are socially compatible with the social aim of the directive).
During the debate, Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said that these amendments improve the common position but since this was the second reading, there was the danger of having to go to conciliation.