Brussels, 13/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 15 November, the EP will debate and give its opinion in a second reading on the draft services directive for the internal market and thereby complete a procedure that will have taken three years on a very controversial legislative text. It would definitely appear likely that MEPs will follow the internal market committee's orientation and not amend the Council's common position (EUROPE 9238 and 9293). Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner in charge of the internal market, will be making an oral declaration on the main elements posing problems to the PES, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL, such as the text's field of application and relations between the services directive and the right to work in Member States.
The date limit for submitting amendments was on Wednesday 8 November. Given the reassurance of the Commission, the rapporteur, German Social Democrat, Evelyne Gebhardt, decided not to present any of her eleven amendments rejected in the second reading at the internal market committee. French socialists and the Green/EFA, however, decided to submit three and seven amendments respectively which mainly focused on the right to work and social services. Nevertheless, there will be one or several technical amendments from the president of the internal market committee, British Labour Party member, Arlene McCarthy, to be voted on in view of incorporating the recent inter-institutional agreement on committee proceedings into the future legislative act. This agreement also contains provisions on the role of the European institutions when adopting measures for executing Community legislative acts. Mb)