The European social dialogue is a fundamental element of the European social model that is formally recognised by the EC Treaty (Articles 138 and 139). It encompasses the discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint actions undertaken by the social partner organisations representing the two sides of industry (workers and employers). In particular, at Community level, workers are represented by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and European employers are represented by three different organisations: the Confederation of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE formerly UNICE), the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) and, following a cooperation agreement signed in 1998, the European Association of Craft Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME), which participates in the social dialogue as a member of the BUSINESSEUROPE delegation.
Briefly, the involvement of the social partners at the European level can be distinguished in three different types of activities: 1) tripartite consultation, which takes place between the social partner organisations and the European public authorities; 2) consultation of the social partners, in the spirit of Article 137 of the Treaty and 3) the European social dialogue, 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 137 and 138 of the Treaty.
Through this Resource Centre, the ETUC aims to provide information and practical assistance to social partner representatives (and especially trade union organisations) as well as practitioners in industrial relations on policy and legislative developments on European social dialogue. The Resource Centre has been developed under the framework of the work programmes of the European social partner organisations and it is one of the outputs of their Integrated Project.
