1. Transposition will be done by collective agreement.

2. A Working Group has been established at the level of the National Labour Council. Composition: representatives from the national employers’ organisation, VBO-FEB, and the trade unions (ACV-CSC, ABVV-FGTB,…)

3. The Working Group started in November 2003. There have been five meetings so far.

4. The ‘opt-out’ principle will not be used in Belgium.

5. In the Working Group’s activities frequent reference is made to the work done by the European group of experts.

6. So far, the focus has been on the following articles of the SE Directive: – art 2: definitions; – art 3: creation of the SNB.

7. No agreement has yet been reached on: – the possibility of trade union officials serving as employee representatives; – adjustment of SNB composition if SE structure changes in the course of SNB negotiations; – number of experts.

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