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It was only as recently as the 28th of April 2010, when the Employment Committee of the European Parliament rejected the Commission proposal on the working time directive in mobile road transport. The MEPs endorsed the view of the labour representatives that the proposal would put road safety at risk and worsen the situation of bus and lorry drivers. This week, it became known that the MEP Edit Bauer of the European People's Party, who is in charge of this Directive proposal, has started secret negotiations with the Council. Without a mandate of the European Parliament. She is now attempting to achieve the opposite of what had been decided in the Employment Committee: the enforcement of the Commission proposal and with that maximum working hours of up to 86 hours for pseudo self-employed bus and lorry drivers.

This week the rejection of the working time directive in mobile road transport should have been confirmed in the plenum of the Parliament. Edith Bauer and her parliamentary party, the European People's Party, however, demand that the vote will be postponed to the next plenary session in June 2010. Reason: the period between Committee vote and the plenary decision would be too short.

In his reaction to Bauer's motion, the deputy leader of the Socialists & Democrats, Hannes Swoboda, dropped a bombshell: he had been aware of the fact that Edit Bauer had held secret negotiations on the Directive proposal with the Council. An affront, as Bauer had not been given a mandate by the competent Employment Committee to negotiate with the Council. What is even worse is the fact that the Conservative MEP obviously does not negotiate a rejection of the Directive proposal, but - totally in contrast to the voting result in the Employment Committee - possibilities to enforce the Commission proposal.

The are concerns that MEP Bauer could have the folllowing intention: by coming up with a compromise proposal, she hopes to sway rebels of her parliamentary party (in particular the French and the Italians) and the European Liberals to vote for the Directive after all. Even though the Employment Committee has voted in favour of rejecting the Directive proposal with a clear majority of almost 60 %. A scandalous and unique course of action, which infringes against the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament and callously ignores the democratic decision in the Committee.

The plenary vote has now been postponed to June. A heated discussion in the Employment Committee on 1st and 2nd June can be expected.

Further information:

Link to the report, how the Employment Committee voted