WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3728/98 by Anneli HULTHÉN to the Commission. The need for an overhaul of the working time directive
Date: 1998-11-25
Institutions: European Parliament, HULTHEN
Subjects: EC Directive, Scotland, United Kingdom, single market, social rights, subcontracting, transfer of businesses, working time

21.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 142/149

The Commission places high priority in ensuring the earliest possible closure, in Bulgaria and in other
applicant countries, of nuclear reactors that cannot be upgraded to internationally acceptable levels of
safety at a reasonable cost. In close coordination with the NSA contributors, it will take further appropriate
action to reach a satisfactory solution with its partners in the pre-accession process, to the benefit of
nuclear safety in Europe.

(1) COM(97) 2000 final.

(1999/C 142/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3727/98

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(25 November 1998)

Subject: Social dumping as a possible motive for Ericsson’s transfer of operations from Norrköping to

Scotland

In the debate that has followed Ericsson’s decision to move certain manufacturing activities from
Norrköping to Scotland, it has emerged that one cost-related reason for the move could have been that
employees’ social rights are of a lower standard at the Scottish plant, notably as regards compliance with
the rules on working time. As a general rule, it should be in the Commission’s interest to take action
against social dumping so as to prevent unfair competition in the internal market.

In view of this, will the Commission state whether it has carried out, or intends to carry out, investigations
to establish whether Ericsson’s transfer of operations from Norrköping to Scotland was a case of social
dumping and explain what steps it is preparing to take to prevent differences in the way the working time
directive is applied from contributing to unfair competition between Member States?

(1999/C 142/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3728/98

by Anneli Hulthén (PSE) to the Commission

(25 November 1998)

Subject: The need for an overhaul of the working time directive

Ericsson’s decision to transfer printed circuit production to Scotland and close down operations in
Norrköping has provoked a debate on how UK application of Directive 93/104/EC (1) on working time
could encourage social dumping. In the case of Ericsson’s transfer of production to Scotland, it appears
that the derogations which the UK Government secured from this Directive in the past directly influenced
the company’s decision to close down its operations in Norrköping in order instead to use a subcontractor
in Scotland, where the Directive is applied as per the UK derogation. All in all, this matter cannot be
viewed as anything other than a case of social dumping.

Will the Commission therefore state whether it sees a need for urgent revision of the UK derogation from
the working time directive so as to prevent instances of social dumping such as has occurred in the case of
Ericsson’s transfer of manufacturing activities to Scotland. If so, does it intend to bring forward its
revision of the UK derogation so that it takes place before 2003?

(1) OJ L 307, 13.12.1993, p. 18.