労働時間指令依然合意ならず

さて、例の労働時間指令改正案の行方ですが、欧州議会がオプトアウトはやっぱり廃止しろ！という修正案を採択してしまったので、閣僚理事会と欧州議会の調停委員会で決着をつけるしかない状況になっていたのですが、昨日それに失敗したようです。

EurActiv紙によると、

http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/meps-slam-commission-working-time-conciliation-fails/article-180406

>The European Parliament has openly criticised the inactivity of the EU executive as MEPs and the European Council yesterday failed to resolve long-running disagreements over the Working Time Directive.

失敗したのは欧州委員会の責任だととがめているようですね。

>Both sides met in conciliation talks yesterday evening (17 March) in Brussels, and despite the meeting running into the night, "no agreement could be reached on the main controversial aspects" of the directive, according to German Socialist MEP Mechtild Rothe, who chaired the Parliament's delegation to the conciliation committee.

Launching conciliation talks, which are effectively the 'last-chance saloon' of Council-Parliament negotiations, became necessary after the Parliament voted against national opt-outs to the directive in December 2008

夜になっても合意に至らなかったと。

>The next conciliation meeting takes place on 1 April. Any final agreement will need to be approved or rejected at the Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg on 4-7 May.

次回は４月１日の予定。そこでどんな結論になろうと、４月４－７日の欧州議会総会で承認される必要があります。もお、ええかげんええやないけ、というふうにはいかないんですかねえ。