European Union

Written by Monika Kiss (1st edition),

© ALDECAstudio / Fotolia

An employer’s obligation to inform their employees on the conditions applicable to their contracts is regulated by Directive 91/533/EEC. Major shifts in the labour market due to demographic trends and digitalisation, spawning a growing number of non-standard employment relationships (such as part-time, temporary and on-demand work), have made it necessary to revise the directive.

The European Commission has responded to the need for a change with a proposal aimed at updating and extending the information on employment-related obligations and working conditions, and at creating new minimum standards for all employed workers, including those on atypical contracts.

In the European Parliament, the Committee for Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) has published a draft report focused on the scope of the directive, on employees’ working hours and the conditions for making information available to them, and on employers’ responsibilities.

Versions

• October 2018: ‘Ensuring more transparent and predictable working conditions‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union Committee responsible: Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) COM(2017) 797
21.12.2017 Rapporteur: Enrique Calvet Chambon (ALDE, Spain) 2017/0355(COD) Shadow rapporteurs:

 

 

  Dennis Radtke (EPP, Germany)
Javi López (S&D, Spain)
Anthea McIntyre (ECR, United Kingdom)
Paloma López Bermejo (GUE/NGL, Spain)
Tamás Meszerics (Greens/EFA, Hungary)
Laura Agea (EFDD, Italy)
Joëlle Mélin (ENF, France) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Vote in committee

EUobserver followed Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the president of the Committee of Regions over nine months - and six interviews - as he worked on one of Jean-Claude Juncker's pet projects: one of the five so-called 'future of Europe' scenarios.

Poland's premier on Monday (15 October) said he and his Czech counterpart oppose a plan to bolster the European Union's external borders, fearing they would receive less infrastructure funding if the scheme goes ahead.

Exclusive: Two days ahead of the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) which will bring together heads of state and government of 51 European and Asian countries, the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev offered his comments on a wide range of issues.

The former head of EFSA, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, will kick off her campaign to lead the UN Food Agency today (16 October), after being endorsed by the Council as the sole EU candidate. However, it is still unclear if she gained the support of all the member states.

In response to EUobserver's investigation, Cyprus: Russia's EU weak link?, the director general of the Association of Cyprus Banks writes to say what his sector has done to clean up its act.

The historic decision in Constantinople to grant Ukraine autocephaly (independence) from the Russian Orthodox church has geopolitical ramifications for Vladimir Putin - and for Europe.

For the first time since post-crisis rules entered into force, all eurozone countries are to submit their draft budget plans to the European Commission, but the Commission could also make an unprecedented move itself: sending one of budgets back to where it came from, most likely, Rome. 

British and European leaders insisted Monday (15 October) they could still reach a Brexit deal despite the latest failed round of divorce talks, but the EU warned a no-deal scenario was "more likely than ever before".

At a Luxembourg meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday (15 October), Hungary called on the EU to stop funding for NGOs that undermine the sovereignty of neighbouring countries such as Israel and Egypt or states that contribute to illegal migration.

European Union ministers agreed on Monday (15 October) to sharply boost catch quotas for western Baltic cod as part of new fishing regulations for next year that angered environmentalists.

Time is of the essence, as business needs certainty, and in the worst-case scenario, ample time to adjust. Clarity should be provided by agreeing on a time-limited extension of the transition period. In particularly SMEs would get the time to adjust to the possible new post-Brexit realities, writes Uwe Combüchen.

A third of chemicals do not comply with European Union rules due to insufficient toxicological data. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.

Renewable methane – whether produced from waste, manure or synthetic sources – could displace at most 7% of natural gas in Europe at the current demand rate, according to a new study by the International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT).

Vladimir Putin is now 66, the average age of death for a Russian male. He keeps fit so we can expect he will live longer than his fellow Russian men, whose standard of living and health care has not been at the forefront of his near two decades of rule, writes Denis MacShane.

Apart from the UN General Assembly, the biggest gathering of world leaders takes place in Brussels this week, the biannual Asia-Europe meeting, known as ASEM. Representing two-thirds of the world’s population, trade and GDP, Europe and Asia have lots to discuss, writes Fraser Cameron.

Agriculture and fisheries Council agrees on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2019.

President Donald Tusk sent the invitation letter to the members of the European Council for their meetings on 17 and 18 October 2018. The discussions will focus on Brexit, migration and internal security.

Banco Popular intervention was a success story although more than 12,000 of the Spanish bank's shareholders requested to be heard in the complaint process, the European Commission and the Single Resolution Board (SRB) said on Monday (15 October).

UK Prime Minister Theresa May insisted on Monday (15 October) that a Brexit deal was close to completion, after talks between EU and UK officials broke down over the Irish border question.