Brussels, 26/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - EU Member States' ambassadors to the EU welcomed the outcome of the vote on Wednesday 25 October by the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee on the directive on services in the internal market (the Services Directive). Last Monday the Committee rejected all the amendments tabled by the PES, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL because most MEPs wanted to leave the Council's common position intact (see EUROPE 9293). The Council is not expected to subscribe to the written statement to be made by the European Commission when the European Parliament votes on the legislation in plenary in November.
EU sources comment that most Member States back the approach taken by the Finnish Presidency. Since the start of second reading, the Finnish Presidency and the European Commission have warned MEPs against jeopardising the political compromise reached at the Council through amendments to various areas of the EP's opinion in first reading. The Member States have thanked the Commission for its constant support of the common position.
Member States' ambassadors took note of the European Commission's plan to make statements on five issues deemed problematic by rapporteur Evelyne Gebhardt (German Social Democrat) but do not want the Council to be associated with this. Anxious to respect the Commission's role in the institutional framework, they say that the Council getting involved would simply delay the final adoption of the Services Directive because the Member States would have to re-enter negotiations on the draft legislation.
In Strasbourg on Monday, Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told MEPs that 'in order to help bring more clarity or assurance where you feel this would be helpful, I would be willing to make statements covering the following issues: 1) the orientations and analysis to be provided by the Commission in regard to the screening of national requirements. These will not amount to interpretations of the Directive by the Commission; 2) the basis on which the consideration of further harmonisation would be based; 3) the neutrality of the Services Directive in regard to labour law; 4) the neutrality of the Services Directive in regard to criminal law and its relationship to criminal law; 5)and lastly, the exclusion from the scope of the Directive of social services relating to social housing, childcare and support of families and persons.' The Commissioner added that detailed texts were being drafted and 'the Commission would be wiling to make these statements to the minutes of the plenary session (in other words, the statements would be made orally but a written record would be kept). (mb)