The Portuguese presidency had decided, in 2007, to link the draft proposals on temporary work and working time to get them out of the blockage where they had remained too long in the Council. The discussions on the two directives had moved forward under the Slovene presidency: the UK relaxed its position on temporary work and in exchange certain countries opposed to the opt-out (possibility by the working time directive to disregard the 48-hour work week in agreement with the employee) reversed their position (see our dispatch n°080482). The ball is now in the court of the European Parliament, has repeated Xavier Bertrand, French minister of social affairs, on behalf of the EU presidency. In fact, European deputies are today seeking to keep the two dossiers separate. They are in a good way to achieving this. On October 7, the Employment and Social Affairs commission of the EP adopted the report of the French socialist Harlem Désir proposing the adoption of the Council’s common position on temporary work (see our dispatch n°080696). If the report is passed in plenary session at end October without amendment, the EP will be able to promote its point of view on working time. Agreement on this point in the Council had annoyed many eurodeputies (see our dispatch n° 080543). On the other hand, the Council might impose under UK pressure a compromise combining temporary work and working time obliging MPs to curb their pretentions on this last issue.
=32664″>see our dispatch n°080696). If the report is passed in plenary session at end October without amendment, the EP will be able to promote its point of view on working time. Agreement on this point in the Council had annoyed many eurodeputies (see our dispatch n° 080543).
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