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BackKoos Richelle, the new Director General of the EU Commission, responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, for the first time appeared before the European Parliament's Employment Committee. He focused on the first European Semester, the future EU's multi-year financial framework and the EU 2020 strategy and of course did not fail to mention the Working Time and Posting of Workers Directive.
Apparently, the EU social partners are willing to negotiate the Working Time Directive
None of the present MEPs had expected any surprise announcements by the new Director General. It is common courtesy and part of Brussels tradition that high-ranking Commission officials make themselves available to the European Parliament to answer questions and to take part in an exchange of views. Hence, it was all the more surprising that Koos announced something that nobody had really expected. He informed the Employment Committee that the European social partners were allegedly willing to negotiate the Working Time Directive. Everybody was taken by surprise as it had been assumed that the EU Commission would submit a new proposal. However, informal circles let it be known that negotiations will only take place if certain conditions are fulfilled. Some are well known, such as the expiry of the opt-out regulation on the trade union side. However, to this day there has not been any real convergence between employer and employee side. Hence, it remains to be seen whether the potential negotiations are not only wishful thinking on behalf of the Commission, which of course would prefer not having to take action concerning this highly sensitive issue.
Objectives of EU 2020 strategy are at risk
Koos was also making waves when he commented that two social policy targets of the new EU 2020 strategy might not be fulfilled. He referred in particular to the planned employment rate of 75 % of the population aged between 20 and 64 to be reached by for 2020 and the reduction of the number of persons at risk of poverty by 20 million. The Member States have a duty to do more; the Commission can only hold up the mirror, said Koos. Now for the first time the ball is in the corner of the Member States; they have to submit national reform plans, based on which the Commission will make recommendations. In this context, he also mentioned the planned new financial framework of the EU. The Commission will present relevant proposals in June. It will be interesting to see, how the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy will be reflected.
Initiative on smoking in the workplace will come
Finally, Koos listed the initiatives of the EU Commission planned for this year. There will be a Directive proposal on electromagnetic radiation and muscle and skeletal disorders. Further plans include a White Paper on pensions and a proposal on demography. War will also be declared on smoking in the workplace; however, not this year, but only at the start of 2012. Richelle mentioned the Posting of Workers Directive; however, it remained somewhat vague what future plans of the Commission in this sector might involve. In their contributions, the MEPs underlined the importance of social policy within the EU and declared their delight that the Directorate General for Employment is assuming such an important role in the Commission’s structure and that it will continue to put its full energy to support social policy issues also in futures.
None of the present MEPs had expected any surprise announcements by the new Director General. It is common courtesy and part of Brussels tradition that high-ranking Commission officials make themselves available to the European Parliament to answer questions and to take part in an exchange of views. Hence, it was all the more surprising that Koos announced something that nobody had really expected. He informed the Employment Committee that the European social partners were allegedly willing to negotiate the Working Time Directive. Everybody was taken by surprise as it had been assumed that the EU Commission would submit a new proposal. However, informal circles let it be known that negotiations will only take place if certain conditions are fulfilled. Some are well known, such as the expiry of the opt-out regulation on the trade union side. However, to this day there has not been any real convergence between employer and employee side. Hence, it remains to be seen whether the potential negotiations are not only wishful thinking on behalf of the Commission, which of course would prefer not having to take action concerning this highly sensitive issue.
Objectives of EU 2020 strategy are at risk
Koos was also making waves when he commented that two social policy targets of the new EU 2020 strategy might not be fulfilled. He referred in particular to the planned employment rate of 75 % of the population aged between 20 and 64 to be reached by for 2020 and the reduction of the number of persons at risk of poverty by 20 million. The Member States have a duty to do more; the Commission can only hold up the mirror, said Koos. Now for the first time the ball is in the corner of the Member States; they have to submit national reform plans, based on which the Commission will make recommendations. In this context, he also mentioned the planned new financial framework of the EU. The Commission will present relevant proposals in June. It will be interesting to see, how the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy will be reflected.
Initiative on smoking in the workplace will come
Finally, Koos listed the initiatives of the EU Commission planned for this year. There will be a Directive proposal on electromagnetic radiation and muscle and skeletal disorders. Further plans include a White Paper on pensions and a proposal on demography. War will also be declared on smoking in the workplace; however, not this year, but only at the start of 2012. Richelle mentioned the Posting of Workers Directive; however, it remained somewhat vague what future plans of the Commission in this sector might involve. In their contributions, the MEPs underlined the importance of social policy within the EU and declared their delight that the Directorate General for Employment is assuming such an important role in the Commission’s structure and that it will continue to put its full energy to support social policy issues also in futures.