Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-04-Speech-1-102"
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"en.20020204.7.1-102"2
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". – Mr President, I wish to begin by expressing my warmest thanks to the House and to the parliamentary delegation in the Conciliation Committee. I should in particular like to thank the Vice-President, Mr Friedrich, and, above all, your rapporteur, Mr Hughes, for their excellent work. As a result of their efforts, their ability and their determination, it is finally possible to adopt a measure which the Commission proposed more than three years ago – a very successful outcome.
In adopting this directive, we are making essential progress towards eliminating the competition distortions in the road sector but, above all, towards improving road safety. This directive will not only allow the elimination of abuses in that sector but also facilitate a better balance between modes. Revitalisation of rail will be possible only with the end of wild competition in road transport. It is thus essential for Member States to make the necessary controls in order to ensure that the new legislation should be respected.
The directive lays down minimum conditions for the organisation of the working time of drivers and also takes into account all the activities which are performed by drivers in addition to driving. Thanks to this Parliament, it will ultimately be possible for this directive to cover all drivers of all categories, whether self-employed or not. That is a great achievement for road safety because tiredness obviously affects all drivers in the same way, whether they work for a firm or are self-employed. Asking the Commission to investigate the effects of exclusion and as a result of its investigations to propose special conditions for the inclusion of self-employed drivers, certainly is the best approach. Let me thank you once again for the determination that Members of this Parliament have shown throughout the conciliation procedure, which has enabled us to adopt the directive.
Also, on the report by Mrs Ghilardotti, I should like to express my congratulations to her and to all Members of this Parliament on the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council on this very important directive. This agreement was only possible due to the spirit of compromise shown by Parliament and the Council. The final draft of the directive, as we see it now, firstly meets completely the initial Commission goals, i.e. to establish and develop throughout the Union good practices of worker information and consultation, focused on anticipating and managing change. Secondly, it gives leeway to action from social partners when it comes to implementing the provisions of the directive. Thirdly, it is compatible with all national systems and provides for mechanisms allowing for a smooth introduction of the new arrangements in all of them. Fourthly, it reflects the views of the two legislators as at least 15 of Parliament's amendments in its two readings have been incorporated into the text. Therefore, the draft before us deserves acceptance, certainly from the Commission but also from Parliament and the Council. Once adopted, the directive will complete the Community framework in the field of worker information and consultation, a framework which provides European companies and their workers with an essential tool to facilitate change and to ensure that it is carried on in a socially acceptable way.
The Commission very much hopes that the considerable work done in this field in recent years will now be continued through a positive and proactive attitude from social partners in relation to the consultation documents it presented to them two weeks ago on the social aspects of corporate restructuring."@en1
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