The struggle over the services directive: the role of the European Parliament and the ETUC

This article analyses the decision-making process leading to adoption of the Directive on Services in the Internal Market (2006/123/EC), focusing on the role of the European Parliament (EP) and the influence the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) obtained on the compromise outcome. It is widely assumed that organized labor is structurally disadvantaged in promoting worker interests in the EU decision-making machinery. The outcome of the Services Directive strife shows, however, that under the co-decision procedure, where Council decisions are reliant on negotiations and agreement with the EP, European trade unions can under certain conditions - gain substantial political impact if they have a clear, joint strategy and manage to combine effective coalition-building inside the EU institutions and key Member States, with mobilisation of popular and parliamentarian forces at the national level.