EPSU delegation meets Commissioner McCreevy on services directive
An EPSU delegation [1] led by Carola Fischbach-Pyttel met Commissioner McCreevy on 13 June to voice concerns on the draft services directive, and in particular about the impact of the directive on public services and workers’ rights. These two areas were confirmed by EPSU’s Executive on 7 June as being the two key concerns.
On the issue of public services, the Commissioner said that if these were excluded there would be little left of the directive, but he acknowledged that introducing competition in these areas can raise concerns. Similarly, he recognised that that the directive posed problems concerning labour law issues. However, Commissioner McCreevy said that he was now waiting for the European Parliament to “put all the cards on the table” before making any judgment about what solutions are needed to address these concerns. He was hopeful that a broad consensus within the Parliament will emerge, although he admitted thought that with 1000+ amendments being generated already the Parliament’s task will not be an easy one. He rejected however EPSU’s argument that the complexity involved in amending the proposal is one further reason why the directive should be withdrawn and replaced with a more focused instrument. The Commissioner said that while he was aware that the draft directive “will never fly in its current form” nonetheless it remained a key measure to promote the internal market in services.
[1] Including representatives from EPSU affiliates in Ireland, Sweden, Germany and the UK.
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