Legislative and work programme of the Commission for 2007

Speech by Liz Lynne on Tue 14th Nov 2006

Demographic change is one of the greatest challenges for European competitiveness. We want to make it a priority to bring people who are excluded into the job market, elderly and disabled people included. That is why the 2000 Employment Directive should be fully implemented. But we must do more, especially as 2007 is the European Year of Equal Opportunities.

However, I welcome the Commission's commitment to cutting down on unnecessary legislation. That is why I ask the Commission to reaffirm its intention to withdraw the Temporary Agency Workers Directive and also to consider separating the issue of calculating what is considered as working time where someone is on call, from that of the individual opt-out from the Working Time Directive.

If we are really to achieve growth and competitiveness, legislation should only be brought forward in the employment field if it cannot successfully be enacted at local or national level. In the field of health and safety it should brought forward only if scientific and medical evidence prove the need for it, as is the case for an amendment to the 2000 Biological Agents Directive to protect workers from needlestick injuries and contracting hepatitis or HIV. Can the Commission tell us when it will bring forward that amendment to the Biological Agents Directive, in line with the own-initiative report that was adopted by the European Parliament?