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Trade secrets trialogue a blow for workers’ mobility

16.12.2015Trade secrets

Yesterday (15.12.2015) the Council, Commission and Parliament representatives gathered for the fourth trialogue meeting to conclude the trade secrets negotiations.

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The negotiating MEPs have assured that it will not have effects on workers’ mobility. In the press release from the Parliament it is said that “MEPs also ensured that the rules will not create unjustified barriers to workers' mobility by clarifying that the rules will not limit employees’ use of the experience and skills honestly acquired in the normal course of their employment.”

What kind of compromise is 6 years when the Commission suggested 1 to 2 years and the JURI Committee 3 years?

Eurocadres, however, interprets the reached compromise as a blow to workers’ mobility. The core issue for Eurocadres in the directive proposal is the limitation period. The shorter the limitation period the safer it is for a worker to change jobs without the fear of a former employer pressing charges and accusing of disclosing a trade secret.

- What kind of compromise is 6 years when the Commission suggested 1 to 2 years and the JURI Committee 3 years? The only happy one is the Council, says Policy Officer Janina Mackiewicz.

We sincerely hope that the MEPs will wake up to this before the anticipated vote in the Parliament in March 2016.

- With the trialogue agreement reached, prospects for a change are not good. However, we sincerely hope that MEPs will wake up to this before the anticipated vote in the Parliament in March 2016, says President Martin Jefflén. It is peculiar that member states want to slow innovation and creativity in Europe, he adds.

More information:

President, Martin Jefflén
Phone: +32 2 2240734
Email: martin.jefflen[at]eurocadres.eu

Policy Officer, Janina Mackiewicz
Phone : +32 2 224 07 32
Email: janina.mackiewicz[at]eurocadres.eu