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Vol.1975/0171

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LIISSICNCPTHEEUAORS^RR COMMUMIIES
COM(75)455
Brussels,10September1975
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
concerningaproposalforaCouncilregulationamendingCouncil
Regulation (EEC)HO1612/68asregardstheextensionoftrade
unions'rightsinfavouroftheworkerswhomovewithinthe
Community
(submittedtotheCouncil "bytheCommission)
>n(75)455

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Atthetime oftheadoption ofCouncil Regulation No1612/68
onthefreedom ofmovement forworkers within theCommunity ,some
reservations were made with regard totheCommission 'sproposal to
include within theheading ofequality oftreatment intheexercise
oftrade union rights theright totake part inthemanagement and
administration ofatrade union ,aproposal which wasbased onthe
Opinion oftrade unions oftheMember States .
With regard totheproposal ofArticle 8ofthesaid Regulation ,
the reason for these reservations stemmed from the national law of
oneMember State ,which limited this right tonationals only .
Theagreement reached within theCouncil provided that Member
States would bepermitted toexclude certain persons from eligibility
forposts inthemanagement andadministration inatrade union ,but
that this problem would besubject toreexamination onthebasis of
anew proposal bythe Commission .
Subsequently ,because oftheamendments inthenational legis­
lations ,Community workers who areworking inaMember State other
than their ownhave become eligible forposts inmanagement and
administration intrade unions .
However ,theCommission considers that despite thefact that
Article ^8oftheTreaty hasbeen adjudged tobedirectly applicable ,
steps should betaken ,inorder toassure legal certainty forthose
persons affected ,toconsolidate atCommunity level what Member States
have already acknowledged and toamend Article 8ofRegulation 1612/68
byputting anend totheambiguous situation resulting from its
present wording .

Furthermore ,this question ofeligibility forposts inadministra­
tion andmanagement inatrade union must bedistinguished from that
ofnonnational workers taking part inthemanagement ofbodies
governed bypublic law and from holding anoffice governed bypublic
law ;inpoint offact ,this latter question islargely outside the
scope ofarticles 48and 4-9oftheTreaty ofRome relating tothe
freedom ofmovement for workers and asolution will have tobefound
within the framework oftheimplementation oftheAction Programme in
favour ofmigrant workers and their families which theCommission
presented totheCouncil onthe19th December 1974 (1)«
(1)Document C0M(74 )2250 of18December 1974 .

Council Regulation (EEC; •*..•••-.» .y.«».''c'««»•
amending Council Regulation (EEC )No1612/68asregards theextension
oftrade union rights infavour ofthe workers who move within the
Community .
I !
TheCouncil oftheEuropean Communities ,
t Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropaan Economic
Community ,andinparticular Article ^9thereof ;
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission ;
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEuropean Parliament ;
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEconomic andSocial Committee ;
Whereas theprogressive integration ofthelabour market must be
accompanied byanincreasing participation ofthose workers who are
nationals ofMember States inthe economic and social life ofthe
host country ;
Whereas theprovisions adopted pursuant toArticles *f8and *f9ofthe
Treaty establishing theEEC ,andinparticular Article 8ofCouncil
Regulation (EEC)No1612/68^*^of15October 1968onfreedom ofmovement
forworkers within theCommunity ,have enabled progress tobemade
inthis direction byintroducing equality oftreatment inthetrade
union sector whereby workers canparticipate intheselection oftrade
union leaders ;whereas however Member States retained theright to
prohibit workers whoarenationals ofanother Member State from partici­
pating intheadministration ormanagement ofsuch organisation ;
Whereas Article 8(2)ofRegulation (EEC)No1612/68provides that
this Article should bereviewed bytheCouncil onthebasis ofaproposal
from theCommission ;.
Whereas ,since theadoption ofthesaid Regulation ,existing prohibitions
inthis field have been abolished byamendments ofnational legislation
andwhereas inconsequence itisnolonger strictly necessary toadopt
community provisions ,also taking into account that Article ^8ofthe
Treaty isdirectly applicable ;
(+)O.J. NoL257-19*10.1968 ,p.2

-2-
VLhereas ,however vinorder toensure legal certainty forthose persons
affected ,Article 8should beamended ?
Whereas showever ,theholding ,ofanoffice within atrade union ,
whether executive ornot ,should bedistinguished from thetaking
part inthemanagement ofbodies governed bypublic lawand theholding
ofanoffice governed bypublic law ;andwhereas the fact that a
Member State reserves toitsownnationals theholding ofsuch offices
and thetaking part inthemanagement ofsuch organizations cannot
preclude workers .who arenationals ofanother Member State from being
eligible forexecutive office within atrade union ;
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
Sole Article :
Article 8ofCouncil Regulation (EEC)No1612/68shall be
amended asfollows :
" Aworker who isanational ofaMember State and who is
"employed intheterritory ofanother Member State shall enjoy
"equality oftreatment asregard membership oftrade unions and
"theexercise ofrights attaching thereto ,including theright
"tovote and tobeeligible for theadministration ormanagement of
"atrade union .Furthermore ,heshall have theright ofeligibility
"forworkers' representative bodies intheundertaking .
" Theexercise oftrade union rights under thesame conditions
"asthose ofnational workers does nothowever automatically entitle
"him totake part inthemanagement ofabody governed bypublic law
"ortohold anoffice governed bypublic law .
" Theprovisions ofthis Article shall notaffect laws or
"regulations incertain Member States which grant more extensive
"rights toworkers coming from theother Member States ".
This Regulation 6hall bebinding initsentirety anddirectly
applicable inallMember States .