- Mr President, there has been a remarkable degree of consensus in the contributions across the range of political groups today. I fully expected that. There has been a tremendous amount of realism, in fact, about this directive after almost 25 years of evolution towards the adoption of this text. The realism and consensus established here in Parliament is also reflected in the European Trade Union Confederation, the Commission, among the 12 Member State Governments and even among some strands within UNICE. Although this text is not perfect, the great thing about it is that we have not over-legislated, despite the breakdown of negotiations between the social partners in attempts to reach a text under the new framework agreement under Maastricht.

We have not been over-prescriptive. We have here a flexible approach which will bring together management and workers laying down very few conditions for the conduct of negotiations and for the adoption of works councils. Only if that fails will there be an annex to come into effect to provide minimum requirements for the establishment of works councils. I think it is very important that management and labour should progress on the basis of this text.

Following a conference I attended on Tuesday with UNICE, Mr Tyszkiewiez of that organization was quoted yesterday as saying he and I were in agreement on this new text. I welcome that. I hope he means by that that he agrees with me that this is a wonderful opportunity, a wonderful flexible framework that we can move together with to achieve new and competitive advantage through improved communication in our trans-national companies. I welcome the text.