WRITTEN QUESTION No. 843/98 by Jean-Antoine GIANSILY to the Commission. EU support for the holding of elections in Togo
2. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 304/159 (98/C 304/242) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0791/98 by Andre· Laignel (PSE) to the Council (16 March 1998) Subject: Applying the 35-hour-week initiative throughout the European Union Throughout the European Union, a reduction of the working week to 35 hours would clearly have a beneficial effect on employment, the quality of life of European citizens and equality of access to employment. To that end, a clear and spontaneous undertaking by the Commission is essential. In what form and on what time scale does the Commission propose to act to harmonize social legislation in line with the best practice, particularly by establishing a legal working week of 35 hours in all countries of the European Union? Answer (4 June 1998) The Council would point out to the Honourable Member that the 1998 Employment Guidelines it adopted on 15 December 1997 (1) include among their objectives encouraging adaptability in businesses and their employees, in particular by modernizing work organization. In that context the Council invites the social partners to negotiate, at the appropriate levels, agreements to help make undertakings productive and competitive so as to achieve the required balance between flexibility and security. The Guidelines specify that: Such agreements may, for example, cover the expression of working time as an annual figure, the reduction of working hours, the reduction of overtime, the development of part-time, lifelong training and career breaks. í The Honourable Member will be aware that Article 118b of the Amsterdam Treaty, currently before Member States for ratification, provides that áshould management and labour so desire, the dialogue between them at Community level may lead to contractual relations, including agreementsí and that such agreements are to be implemented at Community level at the joint request of the signatory parties by a Council decision on a proposal from the Commission. With respect to the issue to which the Honourable Member refers, concerning a reduction of the working week in the European Union to 35 hours, the Council would point out that it has received no proposal from the Commission on the matter. (1) OJ C 30, 28. 1. 1998, p. 1. (98/C 304/243) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0843/98 by Jean-Antoine Giansily (UPE) to the Commission (11 March 1998) Subject: EU support for the holding of elections in Togo In the context of the forthcoming presidential elections in Togo, a Commission mission has published a set of official recommendations to ensure the complete transparency of the poll. As part of the financial aid for the holding of these elections, it appears that a Commission expert is to be instructed to assist the National Electoral Commission set up by a law of 9 September 1997, all of whose members › half of them from the presidential majority, half from the opposition › have already been sworn in on their appointment. 1. Has the Commission expert yet been appointed, and if not, when will this happen? 2. What will be his precise terms of reference?