Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue in the EMCEF
Balatongyörök, April 29, 2006
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How we see the European Integration

  1. Integration process will continue
  2. Despite the enlargement in 2007 and further agreements of association, as lot more of issues will be decided upon at European level
  3. This refers mainly to issues on the Lisbon list and will continue beyond 2010

Who will decide?

  1. Due to the results of the Nice Summit, the role of the Parliament will be considerably increase after enlargement – Consultation procedure
  2. European regulations will be decided upon in an increasingly European sense – principle of majority rule and role of the Council
  3. EU Commission has gained in quality again – mainly due to the new EU member countries

Industrial Policy

  1. Focussing on services has been dominant for long – greater emphasis on industrial issues only since 2004
  2. Recognizing importance of industrial development for reaching Lisbon aims
  3. Integration of other issues into industrial policy

In Detail

  1. EU-Commission initiatives on horizontal issues – general and specific conditions
  2. Further branch-related initiatives with specific programmes
  3. Strengthening industrial branches not by subsidies, but other measures of support
  4. Several EMCEF branches are among the

Further Initiatives

  1. Better regulation – better legislation
  2. Dominance of environmental action programmes over industrial policy decreases
  3. European market of services shall also support industrial development – Directive is on the agenda

Energy Policy

  1. Larger role of the EU – coordination of national policies
  2. Focus is on ensuring energy supply
  3. Debate on energy resources will gain in importance in the years to come – including our own reserves, new technologies and economizing on energy

Present Situation

  1. Wave of mergers – driving forces are great capital requirements as well as developments in other countries
  2. National concepts have no future
  3. Energy companies will continue to play an important role in the development of society and in social affairs

Social Regulations

  1. Since establishing the Single Market, the social dimension of the integration process has been missing – the „European Social Model“ cannot replace it
  2. Debates on the Services Directive and the Constitution have explosive effects
  3. Social dialogues can play a role here by benefiting from the social partners’ competencies

Social Dialogues

  1. Delor’s concept was to close the gap in terms of social issues – today, however, it could comprise even more
  2. Till now only a few results: 32 branch dialogues and UNICE/ETUC with considerable differences in quality – large industrial branches are missing
  3. Improving quality and topics is necessary – we are working on it

Opportunities

  1. Improving mutual recognition
  2. Consultations on all issues relating to the industrial branches are possible – it is important to consult at all levels
  3. External expertise should increasingly be used
  4. Same refers to other EU programmes

Topics

  1. Qualification gains in importance due to demographic changes
  2. Industrial safety is very cost-intensive
  3. Topics relating to industrial policies have to be put on the agenda
  4. Other topics will come: Legal framework for collective bargaining

The Role We Play

  1. Social dialogue presupposes different roles
  2. From the traditional as well as practical point of view there are different addressees in the EP and the EU Commission
  3. Reaching agreement on the topics can be used in the interest of the given branch and people

Thank you for your attention


Reinhard Reibsch,
General secretary of EMCEF