EU: the European Commission undertakes a public consultation on possible changes to the Working Time Directive

The new European Commission has committed to restarting a review of the Working Time Directive 2003/88 and this after successive legal and negotiations failures at the European social partner level. Exactly two years after the previous failure, the European Commission has launched a public consultation that will contribute to an analysis of the impact of various options the Directive puts forward. The questionnaire is a type of survey of these various options.
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It is because the Commission has invited all organizations to contribute their views (ranging from ‘Very undesirable’ to ‘Very desirable’) over a range of issues so as to rise above divisions emanating from the review of the Directive that it can be considered more of a survey than an official public consultation. This Directive, which sets common minimum protective standards on working time (maximum working time periods, rest time periods etc.)

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