VICTORY FOR BARE-CHESTED BUILDERS - LYNNE

3.43.47pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Sep 2005

The decision on whether Bare-chested builders and other outdoor workers will have to cover up has been left to national governments after a vote today in the European Parliament.

MEPs today backed a compromise negotiated by Liberal Democrat MEP and shadow rapporteur for the Optical Radiation Directive Liz Lynne to allow member states to decide whether to introduce the anti-sun directive.

"This is a victory for common sense, it is no business of the EU to decide whether workers can wear shorts and be bare-chested. I wanted to take natural radiation out of the directive completely but we now have the next best thing, leaving it up to Member States, to decide whether they legislate or not, all other references to natural radiation have been taken out.

"A sensible directive to protect workers from artificial radiation could have been ruined by the ludicrous proposal to legislate on the sun. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.

"All people should be made aware of the dangers of the sun, but to tell employers to do this is taking the nanny knows best mentality too far".

ENDS

Note to editors

It is now up to the Council of Ministers to accept our position or we have to go through the conciliation process, which could last up to six weeks for a decision to be reached. The Council of Ministers have equal powers of co-decision with the European Parliament.