Expert group's final report on the European systems of worker involvement, Davignon report

The Committee adopted a report by Mr Winfried MENRAD (EPP, D), which deals with the so-called Davignon report on European Systems of Worker Involvement. The Committee welcomes some of the basic principles presented in this report, but stresses the need to maintain a certain flexibility in the negotiations between management and labour in the future European company. This is the only way to accomodate the specific structures of enterprises and the different traditions of codetermination in the EU Member States. The adoption of a European company statute (SE) must not result in companies being able to use a European legal instrument to avoid codetermination. The Committee demands that all trade union rights that are enshrined in national legislation relating to codetermination have to be maintained in respect of the European company statute. This refers to, in particular, rights regarding negotiations and access to information, electoral rights, as well as rights of proposal and nomination. Once the options for worker participation have been drawn up, the European company statute must be given legislative status, since there is a widespread need among SMEs for increased intra-Union cooperation. �