CELEX: 51974PC1623
Language: en
Date: 1974-10-31
Title: AMENDED Proposal for a Recommendation of the Council addressed to the Member States regarding the application of the principle of the 40 hour week and 4 weeks' annual paid holidays (presented by the Commission to the Council pursuant to the second paragraph of Article 149 of the EEC Treaty)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74) 1623
Vol. 1974/0260
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION QF THE EUROPBAN OQMMUMÏÏES
                                                COM(74)1623 final
                                                Brussels . 31 October 1974
                               i    AMENDED
            Proposal for a Recommendation of the Council addressed
             to the Member States regarding the application of the
            principle of the 40 hour week and 4 weeks' annual paid
                                   holidays •
            (presented by the Commission to the Council pursuant to
             the second paragraph of Article 149 of the EEC Treaty)
  C0M(74) 1623 final )
 ---pagebreak---                                                           V/7 19/1 /74 - E
                                   AMSHDSD
        Proposal for a Recommendation of the Council addressed to
        the Member States regarding the application of the principle
        of the 40 hour week and 4 weeks' annual paid holidays
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COmWITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
and in particular Article 145 thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament ,
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ,
RECOMENBS THE M3MBER STATES :
to take the necessary steps through national legislation and/or where
appropriate , through close collaboration with the Social Partners
leading to collective agreements , to ensure that :
1               -  the principle that the normal working week , as laid down
                   by national legislation or collective agreements , should
                   not exceed 40 hotirs is applied to all sectors and through­
                   out the Community by 31 December 1975 at the latest ,
2               -  working   hours are spread in principle over five working
                   days, allowance being made for sectors and branches of the
                   economy where , given the nature of activities undertaken,
                   this can be shown to be impracticable to the satisfaction
                   of all parties concerned ,
3               -  the application of the principle of the 40-hour week does
                   not imply any reduction in the earnings received by any
                   worker in the Community ,
4               –  four calendar weeks are introduced as a mininum standard
                   for annual paid holidays in all sectors and throughout the
                   Community by 31 December 197S at the latest , provision
                   being made for any public holidays falling within the period
                   taken as annual paid holidays to be compensated by an
                   equivalent number of days taken in addition to the annual
                   paid holidays ,
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 2 -
5              -   any provisions governing the question of holiday pay are
                   amended., if necessary , to take account of the application
                   of the principle of 4 weeks * annual paid holidays , and
                   that the application of this principle has no detrimental
                   effect on workers in respect of holiday pay ,
$              – the principle of the 40-hour week and 4 weeks 1' annual paid
                   holidays is applied , subject to the provisions of subparagraph
                   2 , to all public service employees within the time limits .
                   stated above ,
7              -   the Commission is kept informed of the application of the
                   terms of this recommendation , and to this effect reports
                   are submitted to the Commission on the measures taken to
                   implement the terms of this recommendation at the expiry of
                   the respective deadlines indicated above ,
8              -   the Commission is furthermore kept informed of future
                   developments in the field of working hours and annual holidays
                   after the expiry of the respective deadlines , and to this
                   effect reports are submitted to the Commission by each Member
                 , State by 1   October of each year at the latest , such reports
                   forming the basis of a statement of progress in the field of
                   working hours and annual holidays to be published by the
                   Commission in the annual Report on the Development of the
                   social situation in the Community .
Done at Brussels .
                                       For the Council
                                       The   Président