Brussels, 19/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - MEPs, on Thursday 19 February, approved the draft directive, referred to as the “sanctions directive”, that will bring criminal sanctions against employers of illegal immigrants in the EU. MEPs adopted the legislative resolution on first reading by 552 votes to 105, with 34 abstentions, thereby ratifying the compromise negotiated by rapporteur Claudio Fava (PES, Italy) with the Council. Amendments to the text had already been adopted at the last plenary session in Strasbourg on 4 February (see EUROPE 9835 and 9833). The Council then added a statement to the text stating that the directive would not be any obstacle to the adoption of new legislation on sub-contracting (see EUROPE 9839). The Council will still have to adopt the directive formally. Member states will have two years from publication in the Official Journal of the European Union to incorporate the provisions into national law. (B.C./transl.rt)