WRITTEN QUESTION No. 802/98 by André LAIGNEL to the Commission. Applying the 35-hour-week initiative throughout the European Union
Date: 1998-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, LAIGNEL
Subjects: European Commission, European Union, approximation of laws, arrangement of working time, employment policy, reduction of working time, social legislation, social partners, working time

9. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 310/133

During  the  dispute  settlement  proceedings  on  the  Japanese  market  for  photographic  film  and  paper,  Japan
outlined  its  policy  of  ensuring  non-discriminatory  access  to  the  Japanese  distribution  system  and  improving
market access in the photographic film sector and other sectors. Japan did not make any specific commitments
during the dispute settlement proceedings.

To ensure progress in the opening up of this market, as well as the Japanese market in general, the Commission
will continue to track closely the implementation of the stated Japanese policy of improved market access. The
Commission has urged Japan to undertake fundamental reforms in its distribution system so as to reduce the high
costs of doing business in Japan, to improve market access for foreign exporters and service providers, and to
provide  more  consumer  choice.  Recently  the  Commission  sent  more  than  200  deregulation  proposals  to  the
Japanese government. These included suggestions in the field of distribution. The Commission proposals also
requested  that  Japan  strengthen  competition  policy  enforcement.  The  implementation  of  the  Japanese  new
three-year  deregulation  programme  from  April  1998  provides  an  opportunity  for  measures  to  be  taken  to
facilitate access to the Japanese distribution system for foreign companies.

(98/C 310/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0802/98

by Andre· Laignel (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Applying the 35-hour-week initiative throughout the European Union

Throughout the European Union, a reduction of the working week to 35 hours would clearly have a beneficial
effect on employment, the quality of life of European citizens and equality of access to employment.

To that end, a clear and spontaneous undertaking by the Commission is essential. In what form and on what time
scale  does  the  Commission  propose  to  act  to  harmonize  social  legislation  in  line  with  the  best  practice,
particularly by establishing a legal working week of 35 hours in all countries of the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(14 May 1998)

The Commission believes that the best approach to issues relating to the modernisation of the organisation of
work, including working time arrangements, is that set out in the Council Resolution of 15 December 1997 on the
1998  employment  guidelines (1).  These  invite  the  social  partners  (cid:145)to  negotiate,  at  the  appropriate  levels,
agreements to modernize the organisation of work, including flexible working arrangements, with the aim of
making  undertakings  productive  and  competitive  and  achieving  the  required  balance  between  flexibility  and
security.  Such  agreements  may  for  example,  cover  the  expression  of  working  time  as  an  annual  figure,  the
reduction of working hours, the reduction of overtime, the development of part-time working, lifelong training
and career breaks(cid:146).

The Commission will continue to support efforts by the social parners, at all levels, to reach agreement on any or
all of these issues as a means of attaining the goal of adaptability. However, other than ensuring the protection of
the  health  and  safety  of  workers  in  regard  to  the  organisation  of  working  time,  it  is  not  the  Commission(cid:146)s
intention to propose further statutory reductions in the average working week.

(1)  OJ C 30, 28.1.1998.