Brussels, 09/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will soon be launching a study on the intra-Community ferry sector, particularly on the conditions of the workers in this sector. The Commission has received numerous complaints on taking on cheap labour from outside the European Union, explained Christos Economou from the Directorate General Transport and Energy (DG TREN) at the Commission, during a conference on November organised by the European Transport Federation Workers (ETF). This situation of social dumping is not new and the Commission had already tried to regulate the sector by proposing in 1998, a draft directive for harmonising working conditions on passenger ferries (EUROPE 7211). However, it finally had to withdraw its proposal in August 2004. This explains the launch of this study which has three objectives: collection of “reliable and accurate data” in the sector (such as the number of existing companies, the nationality of the workers, their working conditions etc); analysis of the legal consequences and application of Community social rules on third country boats; measurement of the economic impact of application of employment conditions defined at a Community level for all sailors. Once this data has been collected, the Commission will know “what is the best route to follow” to ensure good working conditions for sailors and fight social dumping. All doors remain open but one option could consist in relaunching the famous “crewing” directive, explained Mr Economou. A Commission initiative is, in any case, very much expected by European workers' representatives and some MEPs. German Socialist Willy Piecyk said that they needed to set up minimum social standards for ferry workers to fight social dumping, mainly coming from new Member States of the EU, including Estonia. According to Piecyk, “there will be a large majority at the European Parliament in favour of an improvement in conditions” for sailors on ferries. He called on the Commission to, “provide us with a reasonable proposal. I am sure that political conditions are now in favour”. (dt)