Employers have until September 1st 2012 to reach agreement with the European Trades Union Congress (ETUC) on necessary modifications to the Working Time Directive. If no agreement is concluded by this date the European Commission will bring forward their own proposals for change. These changes include modifying the treatment on-call time and compensatory rest periods, extending the reference period for averaging working time to 12 months (where a 48 hour/week opt-out is not in use) and measures to reinforce the protection of those opting-out from weekly working time restrictions.