European Union: New three-year work programme

The cross-sector, EU-level social partners have issued a new three-year work programme, covering 2006, 2007 and 2008. Although less detailed than their previous multi-year programme, it contains a number of commitments. We examine the detail of this new agreement and look at the evaluation of the parties' joint text on lifelong learning.

On 23 March 2006, the EU-level, cross-sector social partners - the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the liaison committee Eurocadres, the organisation representing private sector employers (Unice), the organisation representing small and medium-sized employers (UEAPME), and the organisation representing public sector employers (Ceep) - presented their new three-year work programme. The programme, which covers 2006, 2007 and 2008, follows on from their previous work programme, which expired at the end of 2005 (EC: Social partners set out their three-year work programme). Released on the occasion of the tripartite social summit that preceded the spring economic and social council (EIRR 387 p.2), the programme aimed to "contribute to growth, jobs and the modernisation of the EU social model".

The programme is shorter than its predecessor, although it covers all key areas of social and employment policy in which the social partners are involved. In its preamble, the parties state their support for the EU's Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, which aims to turn Europe into the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. The parties state that Europe has a weakness in terms of growth and employment and that this needs to be addressed if Europe is to face the key challenges of demographic change, globalisation and technological innovation.

The social partners believe that their previous work programme has successfully contributed to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy and has resulted in a sharper focus for the European social dialogue process. It has also contributed to the autonomy of that process. Notable achievements of the EU social dialogue over the past few years include the negotiation of framework agreements on telework, concluded in July 2002 (EC: Telework agreement breaks new ground), and on work-related stress, concluded in October 2004 (EC: Social partners conclude EU-level agreement on stress at work). In addition, frameworks of actions have been concluded on lifelong learning (EC: Barcelona Council adds to Lisbon and Stockholm goals) and gender equality (European Union: Social partners agree joint text on gender equality), as well as a programme to help the social partners of the new EU member states take part in the EU social dialogue.

The specific focus of this new work programme will be "to contribute to and promote growth, jobs and the modernisation of the EU social model" and to reinforce the autonomy of the EU social partners. Much emphasis will be placed on the follow-up and monitoring of the agreements and frameworks of actions that are already in place.

Details of the work programme

Joint analysis of key challenges

The social partners state that, in order to contribute to enhancing the EU's employment and growth potential, they will undertake a joint analysis of key challenges, focusing on:

  • macroeconomic and labour market policies;

  • demographic change, active ageing, youth integration, mobility and migration;

  • lifelong learning, competitiveness, innovation and the integration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market;

  • the balance between flexibility and security; and

  • undeclared work.

    Once they have carried out this analysis, they will:

  • decide appropriate joint recommendations to be made to EU and national institutions;

  • define the priorities that should be included in a framework of actions on employment, to be drawn up by the social partners; and

  • negotiate an autonomous framework agreement on either the integration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market or lifelong learning.

    Other actions

    The work programme contains a number of additional planned actions over the coming three years. These are:

  • the negotiation of a voluntary framework agreement on harassment and violence in 2006;

  • the completion of national studies on economic and social change in the new EU member states and the enlargement of these studies to cover the old EU15 member states. These studies will then be used to promote and assess the two existing joint texts, on orientations for reference on managing change and its social consequences (concluded in June 2003, Social partners: Joint text on restructuring), and on the joint lessons learned through European works councils (concluded in April 2005, European Union: Consultation on restructuring and EWCs);

  • the continuation of capacity-building work to help the development of the social dialogue in the 10 new EU member states, and the extension of this work to the candidate countries. The parties also intend to examine how the employer and trade union resource centres that provide technical assistance to the new member states could provide help to the social partners of all EU member states;

  • the drawing up of a report on the implementation of the agreements on telework and work-related stress and on the follow-up to the framework of actions on gender equality; and

  • the further development of the common understanding of the social partners of the telework and stress agreements and the frameworks of actions on lifelong learning and on gender equality. The parties will also look at how these joint texts can have a positive impact on social dialogue at a range of levels.

    Reactions

    The social partners state that this list, which is shorter and less detailed than the list of actions contained in the 2003-05 work programme, is not exhaustive and that they may decide to amend or update it "in the light of developments in the EU".

    All the signatory parties have reacted positively to the launch of their new work programme, emphasising that the focus should be on implementation and the engagement of the signatory parties' members. Candido Méndez,ETUC president, stated: "For ETUC, this work programme represents a new phase in the autonomous social dialogue process, where the social partners ensure that the impact of their joint actions makes a real difference to workers and companies alike. In this respect, the engagement of all parties is key."

    Ernest-Antoine Seillière, president of Unice, stated: "For employers too, this work programme is very important. What matters now is to put words into action. The content of each joint initiative should be assessed against one criterion: does it improve employment prospects in Europe?" UEAPME president Paul Reckinger added: "When dealing with the concerns of Europe's workers and employers, we must not forget that most European companies are SMEs." Finally, Ceep president Caspar Einem stated: "Good implementation of this programme by our members will be the sign that we succeeded in providing relevant answers to major employment and social challenges."


    Evaluation of the social partners' framework of actions for the lifelong development of competencies and qualification

    On 23 March 2006, the EU-level, cross-sector social partners issued a fourth evaluation report of their joint text on lifelong learning, concluded in March 2002. They have issued three annual evaluation reports of this text since its conclusion and this fourth and final report evaluates the impact of the actions taken within the framework of this text, looking at the three annual reports and all the actions taken since 2002.

    The 2002 joint text is based on four priorities:

  • to identify and anticipate the competences and qualifications needed;

  • to recognise and validate competences and qualifications;

  • to inform, support and provide guidance; and

  • to mobilise resources.

    The impact of the framework of actions

    The signatory parties note that this was the first ever framework agreement on the lifelong development of competences and qualifications to be adopted by the EU social partners. They believe that it delivered a "clear message and a sense of focus to national social partners in most countries". They also state that it has created impetus for change, supported existing social partner actions in the area of competence development and resulted in concrete actions to promote lifelong competence development in all EU member states.

    They note that the annual evaluation reports of this text, carried out in 2003, 2004 and 2005, do not claim to be exhaustive, but have highlighted the most significant actions taken by the social partners at national, sectoral and company levels. These have developed from actions geared towards dissemination and awareness-raising of the text, undertaken during the first year, to a wide range of initiatives and actions over the period from 2002 to 2005. In total, more than 350 initiatives were recorded, of which over 70 were examples of good practice at company level. In terms of actions by priority category:

  • 108 were recorded in the area of the identification and anticipation of competences and qualifications needs;

  • 89 were recorded in the area of recognition and validation of competences and qualifications;

  • 53 were recorded in the area of information, support and guidance; and

  • 100 were recorded in the area of mobilising resources.

    In terms of national-level follow-up to the joint text, there were seven reported initiatives that created or reformed forums to discuss national labour market and education policies with public authorities, five reported initiatives that launched or relaunched national social dialogue on lifelong learning, four initiatives that organised European events to share good practice with the social partners of other EU member states. The social partners in almost all countries jointly translated and disseminated the joint text.

    The first concern of the social partners was to better tailor education and training to labour market needs so as to improve both the employability of workers and the competitiveness of companies, and to make education and training systems sustainable. However, the number of "innovative solutions" to encourage co-investment in terms of funding, time and human resources were "relatively limited".

    The second concern of the social partners was to develop existing systems, make them adopt a lifelong learning perspective and fully integrate work-based learning outcomes. The social partners also acknowledged that more needs to be done to disseminate tailored information and raise motivation for competence development, in terms of both workers and companies.

    At EU level, a number of actions were undertaken, including the organisation of a seminar in May 2004 and the implementation of a joint integrated programme of technical assistance to the new EU member states. Good practice from the EU sectoral social partners was also collected and disseminated.

    In conclusion, the social partners state that there has been a considerable amount of work undertaken by national and European social partners in this area, which has made it possible to raise awareness of actions taken at national, sectoral and company levels. This EU process has also enabled the national social partners, particularly in the new member states, to get involved in national discussions on lifelong learning. They believe that the follow-up work to the 2002 joint text has also enhanced perception of competence development as a shared interest for employers and employees and helped to find concrete solutions to modernising education and training systems.

    In terms of future development, the social partners state their belief that "the four priorities identified in 2002 remain valid and essential building blocks to improve the function of Europe's labour markets." They reaffirm the need to continue and deepen their dialogue on the lifelong development of competences and qualifications and state that they also want to examine this in the wider perspective of the functioning of labour markets in Europe.