(a)

Is Council Directive 98/59/EC (1) of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies to be interpreted to the effect that the consultation procedure under Article 2 of the Directive is concluded as soon as direct negotiations between the employer and the workers' representatives have failed or, where the employer and/or workers' representatives refer the matter to an establishment-level arbitration committee provided for by national law, do the negotiations before that committee also have to have been concluded?

(b)

If the second alternative part of the question should be answered in the affirmative does the Directive require, before the notices of dismissal are announced, the conclusion of both the negotiations before the arbitration committee as to ways and means of avoiding collective redundancies or reducing the number of workers affected and the negotiations on ways and means of mitigating the consequences by recourse to accompanying social measures?

(a)

Is the Directive to be interpreted to the effect that notification may not be issued to the employment authority under Article 3 of the Directive until after the consultation procedure has been concluded?

(b)

If Question 2(a) should be answered in the affirmative must both the negotiations on the avoidance of collective redundancies or the reduction of the number of workers affected and the negotiations on the mitigation of the consequences have been concluded before notification is issued?