Brussels, 07/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - The employment and social affairs ministers of the 25 EU Member States met for a special Council meeting on 7 November but were unable to reach agreement on revision of the Working Time Directive, with a group of 5 Member States (led by France) blocking the compromise solution proposed by the Finnish Presidency (see EUROPE 9300 and 9299). Finnish minister Tarja Filatov, who had chaired the meeting, explained that the five Member States had blocked the deal and it was therefore pointless to continue because other countries want an opt out and do not want a date to be introduced for scrapping the opt out.
At the start of the negotiations, France, Italy and Spain, supported by Belgium, Luxembourg and Cyprus, tabled an amendment demanding the future scrapping of the UK's opt out from the 48 hour maximum working week rule. The UK, backed by several countries in Eastern Europe, simply refused to accept this. After the special Council meeting (described as a last ditch attempt to reach agreement on the Working Time Directive), EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla said that as foreseen in the event agreement could not be reached, the Commission would be launching a series of infringement proceedings in the very near future against the 23 Member States not meeting the requirements of the current directive. Asked about whether the Commission may decide to withdraw its draft amendment, the Commissioner said he was taking that option very seriously and was prepared to do so but would reflect on the matter a little longer. (ol)