Brussels, 15/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On 3 April, the European Court of Justice ruled on the Rüffert affair in Germany (EUROPE 9636). The ruling angered the president of the European Parliament's GUE/NGL Group, Francis Wurtz, who expresses his wrath in a letter addressed to EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering. Describing this new ruling as similar if not more serious than those delivered in the Laval-Vaxholm (Sweden) and Viking Line (Finland) cases, Francis Wurtz says the Parliament cannot yet again remain silent when stakes are as crucial, and when strong disapproval has been legitimately caused among trade union organisations, in particular the European Trade Union Confederation. Mr Wurtz therefore stresses that the assessment of these three judgements of the Court and the lessons to be drawn from them should be the subject of a Commission communication followed by a debate during the next session of the EP (21-24 April 2008).
Francis Wurtz recalls in his letter, moreover, that on several occasions he has, since the beginning of the year, called on the conference of presidents of the various groups to include on the plenary agenda a debate on the Laval-Vaxholm and Viking Line rulings, Court rulings which “make social dumping lawful”. He adds that his “proposal was unfortunately not accepted” and that the matter was put off till a later date. (G.B.)