HC Deb 17 January 1997 vol 288 cc421-2W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the draft and adopted legislative instruments which have been solely based on the articles of the social agreement attached to the social protocol of the treaty on European Union, indicating for each(a) the document numbers and titles, (b) the dates of publication, progress or adoption, (c) the articles and paragraphs of the agreement cited as their base and (d) the opinions or amendments made by the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement on the nature and objectives of further legislation arising from the agreement of which he has received notification and which has not yet been formally presented to the Council of Ministers. [10878]

Mr. David Davis

[holding reply of 15 January, 1997]: The following legislation is proposed, or has been adopted, on the basis of the agreement on social policy attached to protocol 14 of the Treaty of European Union:

European Works Council a) Council directive 94/45/EC on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees. b) Adopted by the Council on 22 September 1994. c) Adopted on the basis of article 2(2) of the agreement on social policy. d) European Parliament opinion delivered on 4 May 1994; the European Parliament's second reading on 15 September 1994 suggested eight amendments, of which three were agreed by the Council.

Parental Leave a) Council directive 96/34/EC on the framework agreement on parental leave concluded by Union of Industrial and Employer Confederation of Europe, European Centre of Public Enterprise and the European Trade Unions Congress. b) Adopted by the Council on 3 June 1996. c) Adopted on the basis of article 4(2) of the agreement on social policy. d) European Parliament informed of the proposal.

Burden of Proof a) Commission proposal for a Council directive on the burden of proof in cases of discrimination based on sex. Council document no. 6703/88; COM(96) 340 Final. b) Proposal under discussion in the Council. c) Proposed on the basis of article 2(2) of the agreement on social policy. d) The opinion of the European Parliament is awaited.

The Commission has initiated consultations with the social partners under the terms of article 4 of the agreement on social policy as to whether there should be legislation in the following two areas: the provision of equal statutory rights for atypical workers with their full-time equivalents. the application to companies with more than 50 employees of the principles of information and consultation of workers already enshrined in the European Works Council Directive.