Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-16-Speech-2-169"
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"en.20000516.7.2-169"2
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"Mr President, I would like first of all to make three political comments. I feel that the successful outcome of the conciliation procedure proves that where there is a will, there is a way.
In order for this conciliation to succeed, we had to take account of the fifteen different systems in the Member States, different fields of work and proposals from various employer and employee federations. We also had to take account of the viability of health services as things now stand and competitiveness in sectors such as transport and fisheries. This was no mean feat! It has taken six years to achieve today’s result and it is the first major conciliation decision in the social sphere – and I say major because it affects some 5 million workers.
I feel that the most interesting point – and this is my third comment – is the number of workers affected by this directive, who are at present excluded from the working time directive and who will enjoy these rights once this directive is applied. In my view, therefore, we should be satisfied regardless of whether or not this directive meets all our requirements. The upshot is that the provisions of the working directive will apply to doctors in training, workers at sea, rail workers and all non-mobile workers in excluded sectors.
I would like in particular to thank the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Rocard, the Vice-Chairman, Mr Provan, who used his great experience to guide the conciliation procedure, and of course, Mrs Smet who, with her wealth of ministerial experience, helped achieve such a difficult conciliation. I would also like to give special thanks to the Portuguese Presidency and the Member States, particularly those which, for reasons we cannot go into right now, have experienced major problems with their national health services, such as Great Britain, Spain and Ireland.
Certain speakers raised the issue of the implementation of the directive. I should like to stress that it is indeed a particularly important issue. One of the Commission’s fundamental duties is to monitor the implementation of directives. Here I should like to ask the MEPs to cooperate with us and closely monitor any underhanded plans in Member States, so that the Commission can intervene immediately.
A further two questions have also been raised, the first by Messrs Hughes, Schmid and Pronk as to what we intend to do in the road and rail transport sectors. First, I must tell you that the Transport Council is involved, making the whole process even more complicated. Secondly, as for road transport, the Commission tabled a proposal in 1996, but it was blocked by the Council in 1998. The Commission intends, with the cooperation of the French Presidency, to re-table the issue. We are awaiting new negotiations by the social partners and we hope to obtain their assent. If we cannot proceed in this way, we shall have to change the whole approach we have adopted so far.
With regard to the issue of fisheries, the matter was raised once again by Mr Hudghton."@en1
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