European Parliament
Frank Vanhecke (NI ). –
(NL)
Mr President, it is beyond doubt that the version of the services directive that we have just voted to adopt is a good deal better than the original one; as I see it, the unacceptable country-of-origin principle may not have been done away with, but it has certainly been considerably undermined.
There is still, nonetheless, a great deal that is unclear in the document we have adopted today. At the moment, nobody knows precisely what the implications of much of it are.
For example, I am as yet far from convinced that this text cannot result in social dumping, and am particularly unhappy about the potential for monitoring compliance with it. The many abuses – committed not least by the institutions – in the implementation of ordinary European budgets cause us to be at least sceptical about the efficiency of monitoring at European level.
I have therefore abstained from voting, for, although this may well be a step in the right direction, and even a very considerable one, there are still too many unclear points that absolutely must be removed at second reading stage. I can only hope that I will have no difficulty in voting for it then.

