What is European Social Dialogue?

Social dialogue is a key element of the European social model. It enables the social partners to have an input into the design of European social and employment policy, and is an integral part of the institutional community acquis. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) represents workers in European Social Dialogue at the European level in the Social Dialogue Committee which meets three times a year. The European social partners engage in social dialogue at cross-sectoral and sectoral levels through discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint actions.

The involvement of the social partners at the European level is organised around three different types of activities:

• tripartite consultation, which comprises the exchanges between the social partners and the European public authorities;
• consultation of the social partners, which covers the activities of the consultative committees and official consultations in the spirit of Article 153 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); and
• the European social dialogue as such, which is the name given to the bipartite work of the social partners, whether or not it stems from the official consultations of the Commission based on Articles 154 and 155 of the Treaty.

Why focus on European Social Dialogue?

On the worker-participation.eu website, the focus on European Social Dialogue recognises that social dialogue is a key driver of economic and social resilience, competitiveness, fairness and sustainable growth. Knowledge of how social dialogue structures and processes function and are framed by regulation helps workers, unions, company managers and others to participate in forums and resolve economic and social issues; encourage good governance; advance sustainable industrial activity; and support the social partners’ position in European Social Dialogue.

The worker-participation.eu website includes a brief history of European Social Dialogue in terms of its roles and outcomes.

Interprofessional European Social Dialogue

The involvement of the social partners at the European level is organised around three different types of activities:

• The tripartite consultation comprises the exchanges between the social partners and the European public authorities.
• The consultation of the social partners covers the activities of the consultative committees and official consultations in the spirit of Article 153 of the (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)) - for a complete overview of all consultations so far launched by the European Commission, click here.
• The European social dialogue as such is the name given to the bipartite work of the social partners, whether or not it stems from the official consultations of the Commission based on Articles 154 and 155 TFEU.

Key outcomes of the outcomes of the Interprofessional European Social Dialogue include the framework agreements, the frameworks of actions and the multi-annual work programmes.

• Outcomes
• Implementation of the European framework agreement on telework
• Implementation of framework agreement on work-related stress (Status January 2007)
• Framework agreement on stress at work (2004)
• Framework agreement on inclusive labour markets (2010)
• Framework agreement on harassment and violence at the workplace (2007
  • Framework agreement on parental leave – Directive 1996/34/EC (1996)
• Revised Framework agreement on parental leave (2009)

Sectoral European Social Dialogue

European sectoral social dialogue is a social dialogue that takes place at the branch level between the European trade union and employer organisations of a specific sector of the economy. The main advantage of EU sectoral social dialogue is its ability to address specific aspects of sectoral concern and to provide a proper forum for discussion with the actors on the ground of many issues linked to employment, working conditions, vocational training, industrial change, the knowledge society, demographic patterns, enlargement and globalisation.

European-level sectoral social dialogue is now a well-established process, since its 30-year-old formal and informal structures were reformed on the basis of the European Commission Decision in May 1998. This Decision constitutes the foundation for sectoral social dialogue committees promoting dialogue between the social partners in sectors at European level.

There are currently some 40 sectoral social dialogue committees, which have produced a wide range of joint texts and agreements. A characteristic of the sectoral social dialogue at European level is the diversity of tools used to formalise commitments made by the social partners. The list includes opinions and common positions, declarations, guidelines and codes of conduct, charters, and also framework agreements.

In 2010, the EU Commission published a staff working document where it took stock of the main achievements of the European sectoral social dialogue and reviewed the functioning of the European sectoral social dialogue committees.

The worker-participation.eu website also houses short sectoral commentaries.

Regulation

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) contains two key articles concerning European Social Dialogue:

• Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) Article 154
• Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) Article 155

European Company Statute (ECS) regulation

• History of the transposition of the ECS

European Cooperative Societies (SCE) regulation

• Statute for a European Cooperative Society (SCE) 1435/2003
  • Commentary on EU Consultation on the SCE Regulation
  • Background: The SCE - the Small Sister of the SE

• European Cooperative Society (SCE) Directive 2003/72/EC supplementing the Statute for a SCE with regard to the involvement of employees

  The European Cooperative Society (SCE) aims to reduce existing cross-border obstacles for cooperatives and to make it easier for them to operate across European borders. The SCE thereby complements the legislation on European Companies (SE) which has enabled companies to set up as a European public limited company. As in the case of the SE, the SCE legislation consists of a Regulation on the Statute for an SCE (1435/2003) and an accompanying Directive on worker involvement (2003/72/EC). The Regulation came into force from 18 August 2006, by which date the member states also had to transpose the Directive into national law. Further information on the SCE can be found on the website of the EU Commission

• SCE Transposition
  • Denmark

Other regulation and Positions

Other regulatory and position materials include: (under construction)

• (3) Directives at cross-industry level
• (15) Directives at sector level
• ETUC key resolutions
• Federations’ positions on sectoral social dialogue and reports
• European Commission Resource Centre on Social Dialogue
• European Commission EU Social Dialogue newsletters

Research areas

• European Social Dialogue and law
• European Social Dialogue and crisis
• European Sectoral Social Dialogue
• European Social Partners
• European Social Dialogue and Social Development
• European Social Dialogue and Industrial Relations
• European Social Dialogue and Worker Participation
• European Social Dialogue - prospects
• Other (under construction)

European Companies (SEs)

This worker-participation.eu website houses a list of European Companies (SEs).

European Company (SE) facts and figures

• (2014). News on European Companies: Slowdown or new dynamics? April, ETUI.
• (2013). News on European Companies (SEs). ETUI.
• (2013). In focus: SE dynamics over time. July, ETUI.
• (2013). In focus: 'Subsidiary SEs' – A creeping threat to employee involvement. April, ETUI.
• (2013). In focus: Cross-border mobility of SEs. ETUI.
• (2012). News on European Companies (SEs). October, ETUI.
• (2012). News on European Companies (SEs). March, ETUI.
• (2011). 700th European Company (SE) registered - News from the SE Factsheets database. January, ETUI.
• (2010). 500 active European Companies (SE). ETUI.
• (2009). European Companies (SE) – News from the SE Factsheet Database. March, ETUI.
• (2004). Number of new SE registrations per year. ETUI.

See also:

• ETUI. (2012). European Commission launches new European Company (SE) information website, ETUI.
• European Commission SE website

Jurisprudence

• European Court of Justice (ECJ) court cases

Commentary and analyses

The ETUI has a long-standing research focus on monitoring and analysing legislation from a European perspective with regard to:

• workers' rights in the European Pillar of Social Rights;
• the company law package;
• the history of the (failed) legislative initiative on the European Private company (SPE); and
• other (under construction).

The worker-participation.eu website also houses various other resources on European Social Dialogue.

ETUI and related events on European Social Dialogue

• conferences
• working groups
• networks

European Sectoral Social Dialogue (ESSD) Database

The ETUI’s unique European Sectoral Social Dialogue database contains detailed information (under construction). Upon registration, you will have free access to:

• Information about the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Database (under construction)
• European Sectoral Social Dialogue Database search engines with save facilities (under construction)

Frequently asked questions

• About European Social Dialogue at FAQ. (under construction)
• About European Companies (SEs) at FAQ on SEs.

Other resources