20. 1. 98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 14/9 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 97/81/EC of 15 December 1997 concerning the Framework Agreement on part-time work concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Agreement on social policy annexed to the Protocol (No 14) on social policy, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 4(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 1) Whereas on the basis of the Protocol on social policy annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Member States, with the exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Member States’), wishing to continue along the path laid down in the 1989 Social Charter, have concluded an agreement on social policy; Whereas management and labour (the social part- ners) may, in accordance with Article 4(2) of the Agreement on social policy, request jointly that agreements at Community level be implemented by a Council decision on a proposal from the Commis- sion; Whereas point 7 of the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers provides, inter alia, that ‘the completion of the internal market must lead to an improvement in the living and working conditions of workers in the European Community. This process must result from an approximation of these conditions while the improvement is being maintained, as regards in particular (... forms of employment other than open-ended contracts, such as fixed-term contracts, part-time working, temporary work and seasonal work’; Whereas the Council has not reached a decision on the proposal for a Directive on certain employment relationships with regard to distortions of competi- tion ('), as amended (%), nor on the proposal for a Directive on certain employment relationships with regard to working conditions (°); Whereas the conclusions of the Essen European Council stressed the need to take measures to promote employment and equal opportunities for women and men, and called for measures with a view to increasing the employment-intensiveness of , 8.9. 1990, p. 6. ) O] C 224 ) O] C 305, 5. 12. 1990, p. 8. ) OJ C 224 , 8.9. 1990, p. 4. (10) (11) growth, in particular by a more flexible organization of work in a way which fulfils both the wishes of employees and the requirements of competition; Whereas the Commission, in accordance with Article 3(2) of the Agreement on social policy, has consulted management and labour on the possible direction of Community action with regard to flex- ible working time and job security; Whereas the Commission, considering after such consultation that Community action was desirable, once again consulted management and labour at Community level on the substance of the envisaged proposal in accordance with Article 3(3) of the said Agreement; Whereas the general cross-industry organizations, the Union of Industrial and Employer’s Confederations of Europe (UNICE), the European Centre of Enter- prises with Public Participation (CEEP) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) informed the Commission in their joint letter of 19 June 1996 of their desire to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement on social policy; whereas they asked the Commission, in a joint letter dated 12 March 1997, for a further three months; whereas the Commission complied with this request; Whereas the said cross-industry organizations concluded, on 6 June 1997, a Framework Agreement on part-time work; whereas they forwarded to the Commission their joint request to implement this Framework Agreement by a Council decision on a proposal from the Commission, in accordance with Article 4(2) of the said Agreement; Whereas the Council, in its Resolution of 6 December 1994 on prospects for a European Union social policy: contribution to economic and social convergence in the Union (¥, asked manage- ment and labour to make use of the opportunities for concluding agreements, since they are as a rule closer to social reality and to social problems; Whereas the signatory parties wished to conclude a framework agreement on part-time work setting out the general principles and minimum requirements for part-time working; whereas they have demon- strated their desire to establish a general framework () OJ C 368, 23. 12. 1994, p. 6.