Possible progress on European Company

The European council of ministers for labour and social affairs has again discussed the plans for employee involvement in companies set up under a proposed new "European Company Statute". This measure, which would allow companies to be "European" rather than French or German or British, has long been blocked by disagreements over what rights employees should have to participate in decision-making. The meeting of the ministers on 29 November heard that negotiations were underway between the member states with the most divergent positions, at present probably Germany and Spain. A solution still appeared possible as Labour Research went to press.

The ministers also discussed the EU draft employment guidelines and plans to improve co-ordination between social security systems. There was also a presentation of the Commission's important new measures aimed against discrimination (see page 9).