No L 288/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 10. 91 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 14 October 1991 on an employer’s obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract or employment relationship (91/533/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof, : Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parli- ament (), ’ Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas the development, in the Member States, of new forms of work has led to an increase in the number of types of employment relationship ; Whereas, faced with this development, certain Member States have considered it necessary to subject employment relationships to formal requirements; whereas these provisions are designed to provide employees with improved protection against possible infringements of their rights and to create greater transparency on the labour market ; Whereas the relevant legislation of the Member States differs considerably on such fundamental points as the requirement to inform employees in writing of the main terms of the contract or employment relationship ; Whereas differences in the legislation of Member States may have a direct effect on the operation of the common market ; () OJ No C 24, 31. 1. 1991, p. 3. () OJ No C 240, 16. 9. 1991, p. 21. () OJ No C 159, 17. 6. 1991, p. 32. Whereas Article 117 of the Treaty provides for the Member States to agree upon the need to promote improved working conditions and an improved standard of living for workers, so as to make possible their harmo- nization while the improvement is being maintained; ~ Whereas point 9 of the Community Charter of Funda- mental Social Rights for Workers, adopted at the Stras- bourg European Council on 9 December 1989 by the Heads of State and Government of 11 Member States, states : : ‘The conditions of employment of every worker of the European Community shall be stipulated in laws, a collective agreement or a contract of employment, according to arrangements applying in each country.; Whereas it is necessary to establish at Community level the general requirement that every employee must be provided with a document containing information on the essential elements of his contract or employment relation- ship ; Whereas, in view of the need to maintain a certain degree of flexibility in employment relationships, Member States should be able to exclude certain limited cases of employ- ment relationship from this Directive’s scope of applica- tion ; : Whereas the obligation to provide information may be met by means of a written contract, a letter of appoint: ment or one or more other documents or, if they are lacking, a written statement signed by the employer; Whereas, in the case of expatriation of the employee, the latter must, in addition to the main terms of his contract or employment relationship, be supplied with relevant information connected with his secondment ;