Brussels, 13/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - At the end of an employment and social affairs committee vote at the EP on her report on an opinion on the internal market services directive, Belgian Socialist Anne Van Lancker declared, “the 'services directive our committee is seeking is a social directive”. 33 MEPs voted for the report, 6 against.
The Van Lancker report significantly amends the initial Commission proposals. It demands respect for rights at work in each Member State, including rules on wages, working conditions and collective bargaining. It restricts the field of application by excluding all the Services of General Interest (SGI), as well as postal services, gas and electricity, water management, temporary job agencies and audio-visual services. In the context of cross border services, MEPs asserted that the principle of the country of origin could not apply without preliminary harmonisation of the rules. The 96/71/EC directive on detached workers is also expected to figure strongly in the future directive.
Pierre Jonckeer (Greens/ALE, Belgium) was pleased with the overall contents in the Van Lancker report, as well as the support for his group's proposals, notably the “launch of the authorisation systems harmonisation process”. In a press release French Socialist Harlem Désir described the vote as a “victory of the left”. He added that it was a clear message to the internal market committee, as well as to the European Commission. The European Confederation of Trade Unions “thanked” the parliamentary committee for the “excellent work” carried out to “protect workers' interests” and called on the “”EP to confirm the direction” of this vote.