The European Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers.
Firstly, the Commission is called upon to:
- take initiatives with a view to reviewing and updating Community legislation concerning information and consultation of workers, in order to ensure a coherent and efficient framework of law, guarantee legal certainty and improve the realisation of the social dialogue between the national and the European levels;
- present Parliament with a timetable for the review and modernisation of Community legislation on information and consultation, collective redundancies, safeguarding employees" rights in the event of transfers of undertakings and, in particular, the long-awaited revision of Directive 94/45/EC;
- 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.
The Parliament 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. It calls on the Commission to report rapidly and in full to Parliament and to notify Member States where required.
The Commission is reminded 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. It is also asked to improve further the coordination of its policies in different 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.
The Parliament instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the social partners at European level.