03/06/05 - 'One Size Fits All' Working Proposal Should Be Ditched

Neil Parish, Conservative MEP - South West Region

MEP Neil Parish urges ministers to ditch 'one-size-fits-all' working time proposal

EU ministers have a great opportunity to respond to the French and Dutch 'no' vote on the EU constitution by ditching proposals to abolish Britain's opt-out from the 48-hour maximum working week that would be devastating to British farmers, Neil Parish MEP, Conservative spokesman on agriculture in the European Parliament, said today.

Mr Parish said a Council debate on the Working Time Directive today - which follows the Parliament's vote to end the UK's opt-out last month - is the first major test for the European Union and the debate on its future direction since the French and Dutch decisively rejected the constitution in a referendum.

He said:

"The 'no' vote in France and the Netherlands has given us politicians a stark message - EU citizens are not happy with the current direction of the EU and they want to change direction. I believe that the discussion on the individual opt-out from the working time directive is symbolic of the debate now raging on the future of the European Union.

"The Council has a great opportunity to respond robustly to the French and Dutch vote, which showed fierce hostility to the idea of a one-size-fits-all EU. Our farmers do not want to be dictated to by out of touch Brussels bureaucrats intent on standardising work rules, oblivious to the effect they will have on our agriculture industry.

"We now have a chance to turn away from a European Union that dictates social policy, tells people how they must live their lives and leads the EU into a permanent downward economic spiral. The decision of the Council today will send a signal to the world about the future direction of the EU. I have no doubt Europe's economic competitors will be watching with particular interest."

Notes to editors:

1. EU ministers responsible for employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs meet in Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 2 June.

2. Britain currently leads a blocking minority in the Council. The Labour government officially supports the retention of the opt-out but allowed all Labour MEPs to vote last month for it to be scrapped.

3. France holds a separate blocking minority in the Council, obstructing all change to the directive unless Britain's opt-out is removed.