European Parliament resolution of 10 May 2007 on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers
Date: 2007-05-10
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: collective dismissal, industrial restructuring, labour law, worker consultation, worker information

C 76 E/138

Official Journal of the European Union

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27.3.2008

Thursday 10 May 2007

48. Welcomes the results achieved to date in connection with the exchange of experience and best
practice between regions and local communities through cooperation networks, and calls on the Commis-
sion for continued support to be provided for the development of such networks and innovation transfer
through the deployment of leading-edge information and communication technologies, which significantly
facilitate the transfer and exchange of information, particularly in view of the need to involve communities
living in remote areas; welcomes, in this connection, the fact that through the abovementioned Regions for
Economic Change initiative the Commission is encouraging regions and towns to cooperate, but awaits
specific proposals for the implementation of that initiative;

49.
Calls on the Commission to conduct, in partnership with Member States, regional and local autho-
rities, a mid-term review of the effects of the cohesion policy conducted up to now and of the abovemen-
tioned Community Strategic Guidelines in order to assess the progress made with EU innovation policy in
the regions;

50.
Reminds the Commission that the forthcoming fourth cohesion report must also serve to improve
cohesion policy in the future; also refers to the ‘EU Territorial Agenda’ due to be devised in 2007; stresses
that this policy document seeks to bring about new and forward-looking concepts of territorial develop-
ment (especially in the fields of regional and urban development, the use of ‘critical mass’ for regional
clusters and a differentiated approach to regions) and also uses culture as an aid to regional development;

51.
Hopes that the present resolution will demonstrate the interest which cities and regions have in
regional development and growth and that it will make a contribution to the debate on the annual report-
ing of the Member States' demands in the Lisbon Strategy;

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Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the parliaments and

52.
the governments of the Member States and the Committee of the Regions.

P6_TA(2007)0185

Strengthening Community legislation in the field of information and consultation
of workers

European Parliament resolution of 10 May 2007 on strengthening European legislation in the field
of information and consultation of workers

The European Parliament,

— having regard to Article 136 of the EC Treaty,

— having regard to Directive 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March
2002 establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Com-
munity (1), Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Mem-
ber States relating to collective redundancies (2), Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on
the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and
Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (3)
and Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the laws of the Member
States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, busi-
nesses or parts of undertakings or businesses (4), all of which concern the harmonisation of Member
States' legislation on the instruments of dialogue between management and labour,

(1) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16.
(3) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.
(4) OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 16.

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— having regard to its resolution of 4 September 2001 (1) on the Commission report on the application of

Directive 94/45/EC,

— having regard to the Commission communication on Restructuring and employment — Anticipating
and accompanying restructuring in order to develop employment: the role of the European Union'
(COM(2005)0120),

— having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 14 December

2005 (2),

— having regard to its resolution of 15 March 2006 on restructuring and employment (3),

— having regard to its previous resolutions on industrial restructurings and mergers,

— having regard to the Commission statement to Parliament of 25 April 2007 on strengthening European

legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas an increasing number of enterprises are acting on an international

level as a result of

globalisation,

B. whereas the process of restructuring, mergers, relocations, etc., which affects all sectors of activity and
brings about changes in the structure of companies, production and employment, has intensified,

C. whereas various cases of restructuring and collective redundancy in different sectors have highlighted
possible problems regarding Community legislation on workers' rights concerning information and
consultation,

D. whereas constructive and positive sharing of information and genuine consultation of employees is
important for anticipating industrial change; whereas, furthermore, information and consultation are
an important component of our European social model;

1.
Calls on the Commission, as already requested by Parliament on several occasions and most recently
in its abovementioned resolution of 15 March 2006, to take initiatives with a view to reviewing and updat-
ing Community legislation concerning information and consultation of workers, in order to ensure a coher-
ent and efficient framework of law, guarantee legal certainty and improve the realisation of the social
dialogue between the national and the European levels;

Calls on the Commission to present Parliament with a timetable for the review and modernisation
2.
of Community legislation on information and consultation,
safeguarding
employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings and, in particular, the long-awaited revision of
Directive 94/45/EC;

redundancies,

collective

3.
Calls on the Commission to take prompt action to ensure that adequate implementation takes place in
the Member States as regards information and consultation of workers and to notify those Member States
where directives concerning information and consultation remain unimplemented;

4.
Notes in particular that Directive 94/45/EC either remains unimplemented or there are large and
unjustified discrepancies between the ways in which Member States choose to implement it; calls on the
Commission to report rapidly and in full to Parliament and to notify Member States where required;

(1) OJ C 72 E, 21.3.2002, p. 68.
(2) OJ C 65, 17.3.2006, p. 58.
(3) OJ C 291 E, 30.11.2006, p. 297.

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Thursday 10 May 2007

5.
Reminds the Commission of the need for a coherent industrial policy at European level, with due
account being taken of its social and environmental impact; considers that the social partners have a key
role to play in developing such a policy;

Calls on the Commission, therefore, to improve further the coordination of its policies in different
6.
fields, including social affairs, economic and monetary affairs, industry, and research and development, and
to encourage the social partners to take an active part in developing a coherent set of policies aimed at
maintaining a strong, innovative and competitive European industry;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and

7.
parliaments of the Member States, and the social partners at European level.