27 June Social Affairs Council

Date: 03/07/1997

MINISTERS reached agreement on draft rules covering the burden of proof in sex discrimination cases. The Italian delegation agreed to drop its objections to the proposed text, allowing it to be adopted by unanimous vote. The Italians, along with the European Commission, had wanted the rules to be extended to social security systems, but other member states disagreed. Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn expressed disappointment that many of the amendments made to the text by the Commission and the European Parliament had been dropped, but welcomed the fact that some sort of agreement had been reached.

MEMBER states also succeeded in reaching a common position on a draft directive on exposure to chemical agents in the workplace. Agreement was reached by qualified majority vote, with Italy the only member state to vote against. The proposed legislation would set out maximum times for employees to be called on to work with potentially hazardous substances. Diplomats hope that both the burden of proof and hazardous substances directives will be finally approved before the end of the year.

A COMMISSION report on modernising the Union's social security systems was generally well received by ministers. Most member states stressed the need for more to be done to help workers moving around the EU to take their pension and social security entitlements with them. Germany, however, expressed strong reservations about any attempts to alter its current arrangements.

MINISTERS were briefed by Flynn on talks between trade unions and employers' organisations aimed at preventing future shock factory closures of the sort seen earlier this year at Renault's plant in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The Commissioner reported that the two sides had so far failed to find any common ground and the talks were deadlocked.