Brussels, 11/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 May, the European Parliament adopted, by a large majority, the joint resolution from the PES, Greens/EFA and ALDE groups calling once again on the European Commission to review and update European legislation on consultation and information of workers, “in order to ensure a coherent and efficient framework of law, guarantee legal certainty and improve the articulation of social dialogue between the national and the European levels”. In the face of the restructurings which are rocking European industry at the moment, the European Parliament is thus calling for social dialogue to be enhanced and for a more effective industrial policy to be implemented.
Parliament also called on the Commission to: (1) present it with a “timetable for the review and modernisation of European legislation”, especially on the revision of the directive on works councils; (2) improve further “the coordination of its policies in the various fields, including social affairs, economic and monetary affairs, industry, and research and development”, and to encourage the social partners to “take an active part in developing a coherent set of policies aimed at maintaining a strong, innovative and competitive European industry”; (3) present it as soon as possible with a full report on the 22 September 1994 directive on the establishment of European Works Councils. This directive “is either not being implemented at all or there are large and unjustified discrepancies between the ways that member states choose to implement it”, said MEPs in their resolution. “The ball is now in the European Commission's court. It now has a clear mandate from the European Parliament. We hope that it will act as quickly as possible and in the interests of the millions of wage-earners affected by this legislation,” said Stephen Hughes (PES, United Kingdom), repeating his comments of one month ago, that it was time to put an end to the inconsistencies and contradictions between the various European texts relating to information and consultation of workers, a situation which opened the door to abuses.
Last month, Commissioner Vladimir Spidla was questioned by MEPs on the gaps in European legislation on consultation and information of workers. He said at that time that he thought the legislation was “not as incomplete as was claimed” and gave assurances that the Commission would discuss its review (see EUROPE 9416). (gb)