WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1819/99 by Raffaele COSTA 'Europe against Cancer' programme
29. 1. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 27 E/173 for tenders, The restadsselskabet consortium is currently building a light rail system in Copenhagen. Following a Europe-wide call the entire civil engineering project was awarded to Ansaldo and the subcontractor Carlo Gavazzi of Italy, and they are employing Portuguese electricians at much lower rates of pay than the going rate for Danish electricians. A poorly organised, or non-organised, labour force is thus undercutting the domestic labour force and hence inflicting significant damage on the Danish labour market, which has harmful consequences for the Danish social system. It goes without saying that it is highly unsatisfactory when the labour market of a stable society is undermined in this way. Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (21 October 1999) The Commission would recall that Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 December 1996 (1) concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services aims to ensure fair competition in the context of the provision of transnational services while guaranteeing respect for workersí rights. When undertakings established in a Member State, in the framework of the transnational provision of services, post workers to the territory of another Member State, they must comply with certain imperative rules and guarantee certain working conditions in force in the host Member State to these posted workers. These terms and conditions are set out in Article 3 of the Directive, and mainly concern minimum rates of pay and minimum paid annual holidays which are laid down by law, regulation or administrative provisions and/or by collective agreements which have been declared universally applicable insofar as they concern building work. However, Member States are authorised to impose on undertakings subject to the Directive the working conditions laid down by collective agreements in respect of activities other than building work, provided these agreements meet the criteria set out in the Directive. Directive 96/71/EC has to be transposed into the legal orders of the Member States by 16 December 1999 at the latest. (1) OJ L 18, 21. 1. 1997. (2000/C 27 E/214) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1819/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (12 October 1999) Subject: Europe against Cancerí programme Can the Commission state to what extent funding or subsidies have been awarded (with payments already disbursed, or not), and to what bodies (public or private), institutions, undertakings, cooperatives or individuals, in connection with the European against Cancerí programme ü Action plans 1987-89, 1990- 94 and 1996-2000? Have the actual deployment of the funds and the successful outcome of the initiatives been verified? Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (25 October 1999) The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible