SOCIAL DIALOGUE : MEMBER STATES FAIL TO TRANSPOSE DIRECTIVE ON EMPLOYEE CONSULTATION.

Despite the obligation placed on them by Directive 14/EC of 2002, the Union's member states appear to be reluctant set upapermanent systems of information and consultation of employees. Several states have even failed to transpose this into national law.

In some of these states, it is not part of the tradition to arrange for such compulsory dialogue, says Jean Louis Cottigny (PES, France), the author of an own-initiative report on the implementation of the directive on the information and consultation of employees. Nevertheless, the member states are "required" to transpose the directive, states his report, which was adopted by the European Parliament's plenary, on 19 February. The vote wasa590 in favour, 21 against and 32 abstentions.

According to the report, thea"democratic involvement of employees in decisions" should be strengthened, especially in today's troubled economic times. It says that member states that have not yet fully adopted a "framework for informing and consulting employees" risk facing infringement proceedings. Such proceedings should be initiated against those states that have "failed to transpose the directive" or "have not done so correctly". Therefore, the rapporteur urges the laggard states to rectify this situation "as soon as possible" and simultaneously calls on the European Commission to "take immediate measures" to guarantee "effective transposition" of the directive.

Cottigny's report says that while certain states have already transposed the said directive, it was not done in an...