It seems that this agreement, which must be finalised in the following weeks, will be directly ratified at the second reading by the Parliament. For CECOP, Guy Boucquiaux referred to a neglected theme so far: the “statute of “posted” workers”. Indeed, in opposition to the text of the initial proposition which articles 24 and 25 were dedicated to this question, the new proposal does not include any disposal on posting of workers. Actually, this is the reason why the Commission has urgently released on 4 April 2006 a report on the implementation of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services ( COM(2006) 159 final ).

We have been told a report on the implementation of the directive is on its way; nothing more... On the practical point of view, how could we implement the services directive if this problem is not solved? It will not be in the next few months since an assessment study of the situation in the 10 new country-members is ongoing which results will not be published before mid-2007. By clicking here, you can access all the useful documentation We will come back on this issue in the next few weeks. By the way, would you have any national documentation on that subject in your possession? If it is the case, could you please send a copy to the CECOP Secretariat which is going to make an inventory of them?