Press Release: Commission proposes revision of Working Time Directive

The Commission has, after extensive consultation across Europe, adopted a proposal to update key aspects of the working time directive, 22 September 2004. It is a balanced package of inter-related measures which retains the principal objective - health & safety of workers - while responding to the needs of the modern European economy. The individual opt-out from the 48 hour week would remain possible, but be subject to stricter conditions to prevent abuse. Member States would be given the possibility to extend the reference period for calculating the 48-hour maximum working week from 4 months to a year. Time spent on call that is not worked would not be counted as working time, with compensatory rest granted within 72 hours.

ESO: In Focus: Working Time Directive: European Commission launches second phase of consultation to revise Directive, May 2004 http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=&rfe_id=&svc_id=&rft_val_fmt=&res_id=xri:eso&rft_id=xri:eso:doc:066/0000483

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/04/219 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/04/219&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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