Key to EU Competitiveness is Equality in the Workplace and Better Regulation - Lynne

4.09.10pm GMT Tue 14th Nov 2006

Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne today welcomed the European Commission's work programme for 2007, but highlighted the need to do more to ensure better regulation and expressed regret that more is not being done in the European Year of Equal Opportunities 2007 to help address the EU's demographic crisis by bringing excluded individuals into the workplace, in particular through effective implementation of the Employment Directive 2000.

Speaking on the issue in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Liz said:

"I welcome many aspects of the Commission Programme for 2007, but Europe is facing a demographic time bomb and I am disappointed that there is not more reference to disabled people or elderly people and the need to ensure that existing anti discrimination legislation, such as the Employment Directive 2000, is implemented effectively"

"2007 is the European Year for Equal Opportunities and yet there is little in this work programme for those that don't have the rights and opportunities that they should."

"I welcome the Commission President's commitment to cutting down on unnecessary legislation, that is why I have asked the Commission President to reaffirm his intention to withdraw the Temporary Agency Workers Directive and to bring forward a new proposal for the Working Time Directive that separates the issue of calculating what is considered as working time where someone is on call from that of the opt out"

"If we are to achieve growth and competitiveness, legislation should only be brought forward in the employment field if it cannot be successfully done at a local or national level. Health and safety legislation must only be brought forward if scientific and medical evidence prove a need for it, as is the case for an amendment to the 2000 Biological Agents Directive, to protect workers from contracting HIV and Hepatitis C from needle-stick injuries, in line with the European Parliament's own initiative report on this issue. There are over one million such injuries across the EU every year."

Editor's Note

Liz was speaking in the debate on the report by the European Parliament on the European Commission's Work Programme 2007.

Over the course of the last year, Liz has welcomed the introduction of anti-age discrimination legislation in the UK that was introduced as a result of her amendments to the European Employment Directive 2000 and has written a report on the European Commission's Disability Action Plan that will be presented on 30th November.