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Press release
Working Time Directive: talks continue
Employment policy - 16-04-2009 - 13:35
General
General
Parliament and Council representatives met yesterday in fruitful talks on the Working Time Directive, although a final agreement has not yet been reached. The negotiating teams will therefore reconvene on 23 April to try and find enough common ground for a final formal conciliation meeting on 27 and 28 April. The sole point of discussion was the "opt-out", which has so far been the most contentious issue.
During the talks, ideas were exchanged and a number of draft texts were discussed without, however, coming to a final conclusion. "This is the first time that key issues were discussed in a constructive approach", commented Vice-President Mechtild Rothe (PES, DE), leading the Parliament negotiating team. "After five years of difficult negotiations, it is necessary to try to find a compromise until the very end of the procedure", she stressed during a meeting of the full Parliament conciliation delegation a day later, reminding fellow-MEPs that the Parliament remains committed to reaching an overall agreement and will therefore call a final conciliation meeting if necessary.
The Parliament and the Council have agreed on a further "trialogue" on Thursday 23 April in Strasbourg in the morning in view of a final conciliation meeting on the 27 or 28 April 2009.
The conciliation procedure was formally opened on 17 March. The Conciliation Committee has six weeks (until 28 April) to find an overall agreement in the form of a joint text. Given that Parliament will hold its last plenary session before the European elections in May, any agreement reached in the Conciliation Committee needs be in due time to allow Parliament to consider at that session.
REF.: 20090416IPR53787