B3-1743 and 1757/93

Resolution on the outcome of the Social Affairs Council of 23 November 1993

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the decision of the Social Affairs Council of 23 November 1993,

-having regard to the Community Charter on Fundamental Social Rights of Workers and the action programme for its implementation drawn up by the Commission,

-having regard to its decision at second reading on 28 October 1993 on the draft directive on the organization of working time (COM(93)0588 - C3-0483/93),

-having regard to the Commission's legislative programme,

A.whereas a balanced and ongoing social dialogue is of the utmost importance in order to foster arrangements for the organization of work,

B.whereas the current economic climate is such that care must be taken not to unnecessarily burden the willingness or ability of employers to maintain or increase their workforce,

1.Welcomes the fact that the Social Affairs Council, under the Belgian Presidency, has finally succeeded in adopting a directive concerning the organization of working time;

2.Regrets the fact that the Commission has only partly succeeded in winning the Council's support for Parliament's demands regarding the organization of working time and therefore expects that this directive will be improved as soon as possible;

3.Congratulates Commissioner Flynn on his initiative of drafting a Green Paper on European social policy as a basis for consultation and hopes to take part in discussions on it; expects the Commission in the near future, however, to convert the Green Paper into a White Paper setting out specific measures and bring it into line with the existing White Paper on employment policy;

4.Notes that the Council has briefly discussed these Commission proposals on social and employment policy and points out that it still has to express its own opinion on those proposals;

5.Believes, in view of the current levels of unemployment, that the social policy of the European Union should be especially focused on the unemployed;

6.Regrets all the more that, despite having submitted these proposals, the Commission has given so little consideration to social affairs in its legislative programme for 1994 and intends next year to submit only four initiatives for implementing the social dimension of the internal market;

7.Notes that the agreement on the protection of young people at the workplace is an important cornerstone of any serious social policy;

8.Points out to the Commission, however, that the Council's decision on the protection of young people at work cannot be accepted in its present form;

9.Is of the opinion that the adoption of the proposal on the protection of workers on fishing vessels is another step forward in connection with minimum health and safety conditions in general at the workplace in the European Union;

10.Calls on the Commission once again to bring its influence to bear on the Council so that the directives which have not yet been adopted, in particular the directive on atypical employment, are in fact adopted;

11.Notes that the twelve Member States have not succeeded in reaching an agreement on the directive on European Works Councils;

12.Welcomes the fact, therefore, that the Commission has initiated the procedure which has been made possible owing to ratification of the Maastricht Treaties, and in particular the Agreement on Social Policy;

13.Regrets, however, that the Commission has not reached an agreement with Parliament on the identity of the social partners who, under Article 4 of the Agreement on Social Policy, are to be entrusted with reaching an agreement in this field;

14.Calls on the Commission, therefore, to reach such an agreement with Parliament as soon as possible so that the Agreement on Social Policy may be applied;

15.Expects the Commission, with the Council and Parliament as mediators, to give its backing, on the basis of the declarations issued by these institutions on policy on the elderly, to a joint declaration by all the institutions on policy on the elderly and, on that basis, to formulate a policy programme for the elderly;

16.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.