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The Recast EWC Directive, at last ? . 22 september 1999 : a Commission deadline for the START of the Review of the EWC Directive 94/95May (?) 2009 : The Recast EWC Directive, only 10 years after the deadline for the start of the Review process The notion of the EWC was introduced in the first Societas Europaea Proposal for Regulation (1970)The idea of (trans)national Information and Consultation within complex structures dates back to the Vredeling Proposal (1980) .
                
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1. The recast EWC Directive : a Glorious Evolution  Filip Dorssemont 
Universit Catholique de Louvain 
FNRS-FRS  
2. The Recast EWC Directive, at last ?  22 september 1999 : a Commission deadline for the START of the Review of the EWC Directive 94/95
May (?) 2009 : The Recast EWC Directive, only 10 years after the deadline for the start of the Review process 
The notion of the EWC was introduced in the first Societas Europaea Proposal for Regulation (1970)
The idea of (trans)national Information and Consultation within complex structures  dates back to the Vredeling Proposal (1980) 
 
3.  Shortcomings, whats in a name  ? Shortcomings in relation to the objectives (7th Recital)
Ensuring effectiveness of transnational ICP rights 
Increasing the proportion of EWCs
Resolving problems encountered in practical application 
Remedying the lack of legal certainty
A better linking (articulation)- between EC Directives  
4. Getting Started  Assesment whether undertaking- group of undertaking fall within the ambit ?
-no legal clarification of  what constitutes the information required for  commencing negotiations ?
-no anti-victimisation clauses for employee(s) (representatives) requesting to commence negotiations ?
 
5. Getting Started Who has to co-ordinate and finance the establishment of the SNB ?  
6. Trans-nationality, a limit to the competence of the EWC?  Trans-nationality has been reshuffled from the SR to the body of the Recast Directive as a formal limit of the EWC comptences 
Is this a restriction of the autonomy of the SNB and CM to define the competence of the EWC?
= Matters of concern to the Community-scale entity as a whole or to at least two components in two different MS  
7. Trans-nationality, a limit to the competence of the EWC? 16 th Recital allows for a more qualitative approach, which transcends the case of 
   transfer between MS ? the scope of their potential effects for the workforce
Decision to close plant X is a decision NOT to close Y Z etc 
Decision to close plant X can be avoided by a transversal policy to operate cuts 
British Airways case allows for an assessment of restructuring operations over  a wider time span  
8. Information and Consultation  Major Improvement ?
Introducing definition of information
Improving a definition on consultation
Articulating the link between I and C
Anteriority of Consultation vis--vis restructuring decisions (proposed measures) 
No simultaneous Information and Consultation : information is a preparatory stepstone to consultation 
 
9. Information and Consultation Proposed measures are not envisaged measures (SE 2001/86)
Proposed measures are not exceptional circumstances or decisions (SR)
No IC with a view to reach  an agreement 
No formal duty for CM to provide a response to the  opinion (in the corpus of the EWC Directive) 
 
10. Linking- Articulation  There is a need for a comprehensive articulation of the various EC Directives related to WI (patch work)
Patch Work creates an employers argument for not informing consulting or for postponing IC procedures at local level 
The EWC Recast precludes the not informing, but does not solve the issue of timing 
Contractual governance within the article 6 agreement is not a feasible solution 
? EWC might provide a RIGHT for local works councils to postpone IC proceedings at local level 
 
11. Facilitating the functioning  SNB- EWC Major improvements :
-right to training without loss of wages SNB EWC
-right to pre and post meetings for the SNB
Quid with financing of the training?
Quid with the autonomous organisation of training?
Quid with prior and posterior meetings for the members of the conventional EWC; the post meetings of the statutory EWC? 
Quid with visits of EWC Members at local level? 
 
12. Contractual Governance, a structural threat to legal security The Recast raises and solves the issue of continuity of all conventional and statutory EWCs in the case of restructuring : Duty to adapt in case of significant (?) changes 
Quid in case of expiry of termination of conventional EWCs unrelated to restructuring and adaptation ?  
13. Sanctions No specific sanctions have been imposed to implementing  MS
 The scope of Article 10 (collectively represent) is UN-clear (ius agendi) 
14. Conclusion  effectiveness : no  specific sanctions, no rules on standing  (? : better definition) 
Increasing the proportion of EWCs :  thresholds unaltered  discontinuity 
Resolving problems encountered in practical application (reminiscent of problems) 
Remedying the lack of legal certainty (to soon)
A better linking (articulation)- between EC Directives : Work in Progress (?-? SE Directive)