Brussels, 20/04/2005
Ms Gebhardt tries to get it right and excludes, from the outset, labour relations and services of general interest from the scope of the directive. We do not have the whole picture yet, says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), we are waiting for the second part. But it is clearly a step in the right direction.
It is important to make the directive watertight against social dumping, and totally to exclude labour and employment law from the scope of an internal market directive.
The ETUC is satisfied that Ms Gebhardt has put a very constructive document on the table - after having consulted the ETUC - which takes account of some of our most urgent demands.
It is important to keep a strong social dimension in the internal market, or otherwise the European trade unions will not be able to support the project. The ETUC and its affiliates are very worried about this proposal: 75 000 people, from both the new and the old Member States,
demonstrated against it last month.
There are some unconditional supporters of the initial Bolkestein draft who continue to stress the importance of the country of origin principle - which Ms Gebhardt has deleted and replaced with mutual recognition. The ETUC will need to scrutinise the implications and consequences of the new approach in more detail. It will continue to keep up its pressure, as the battle is not yet won.