1. European social dialogue A new start for social dialogue
European Commission ESF Committee Plenary Meeting 3 June 2015

2. A new start for Social Dialogue
High level conference – 5 March 2015
Strengthen social dialogue
Involve social partners at all levels
Competitiveness and Fairness
Social market economy

3. A new start for Social Dialogue
Economic Governance and Capacity-Building
Improving social partners' involvement in the European Semester: country reports and visits; employment guidelines…
Strengthening industrial relations and capacity building at national level: monitoring; mutual learning; funding (incl. ESF)…
The EU's macroeconomic strategy and the need for investing in growth and quality jobs: investment plan (advisory hub)…
Improving the involvement of social partners in the European Semester is a task for the European level, but it is equally important at the national level: national social partners need to be fully involved in the development of national reform programmes and in implementing the reforms that have been agreed. EU social partners, in their joint opinion on social partners' involvement in EU economic governance, stated that social dialogue and well-developed industrial relations at all levels are a crucial element of the European social model and democratic government. The social partners' joint opinion reminded us that social dialogue can be a driving force for successful economic and social reforms. Social partners can raise awareness of the consequences of economic and social change on social systems and labour markets. They can also play a key role in putting in place the conditions that will stimulate job creation, notably by facilitating economic recovery and labour market and social inclusion.
Capacity of national social partners matters for the effective implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). National social partners’ capacity is also important for their involvement in the European Semester, for instance by providing their views for the National Reform Programmes. Capacity of national social partners is important for European social partner organisations. The more encompassing their national membership and the stronger the mandate by the national level, the more effectively management and labour are represented at European level. Moreover, European social partners crucially rely on national social partners for the implementation of autonomous agreements at national level.
Social partners should be properly consulted on initiatives envisaged by the Commission. This concerns in the first place the employment and social portfolio where consultation is in any event foreseen by the Treaty (TFEU). But also beyond the employment and social portfolio, we need to examine how to better involve the social partners. This is for instance the case for the digital single market but also our trade negotiations. The reference to the social dialogue in the recent Commission initiative on the energy union demonstrates this commitment. + clarification on relationship agreements social partners and better regulation in forthcoming revised impact assessment guidelines

4. A new start for Social Dialogue
Policy-Making and Law-Making
Exploiting the full potential of the digital market: Liaison forum (1 June) and SSDC…
Social dialogue and better regulation: dedicated meetings (eg. 13 April on investment; on energy; on transport; on TTIP…) and consultations (eg. 24 April on LTU); evidence base…
Skills, education and training needs in anticipation of a changing working environment: Liaison forum (1 June) and SSDC

5. A new start for Social Dialogue
Recent and forthcoming events
5 March - High level conference "new start for social dialogue"
19 March - TSS: European semester, investment, energy…
30-31 March – LV Presidency events: ESF, Eurofound, Forum
20 April - Liaison Forum
21-22 April - Informal EPSCO on "Social Dialogue"
24 April - Dedicated consultation on long-term unemployed
May/June – EMCO and SPC meetings with social partners
1 June – Liaison Forum
3 June – Plenary meeting of the ESF Committee
4 June – Conference on a social agenda in transport
24 June – Social Dialogue Committee
June and beyond – Thematic groups
14 October – Open days, workshop on capacity building for social partners

6. A new start for Social Dialogue
What input from ESF Committee?
e.g.: information on the spending on capacity building of social partners from the previous and current financing periods?
e.g.: identification and sharing of best practices, mutual learning, peer reviewing, benchmarking?
e.g. "interpretation" of Article 3(1)(d) and Article 6 (2), (3) of Reg. (EU) 1304/2013 in terms of promoting social dialogue
e.g. concrete actions by establishing the Monitoring Committees
Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 (ESF Regulation)
Article 3
Scope of support
Under the thematic objectives set out in points (8), (9), (10) and (11) of the first paragraph of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, which correspond to points (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this paragraph, and in accordance with its missions, the ESF shall support the following investment priorities:
(d) For the thematic objective 'enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration':
(i) Investment in institutional capacity and in the efficiency of public administrations and public services at the national, regional and local levels with a view to reforms, better regulation and good governance;
This investment priority is applicable only in Member States eligible for support from the Cohesion Fund, or in Member States that have one or more NUTS level 2 regions referred to in Article 90(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013.
(ii) Capacity building for all stakeholders delivering education, lifelong learning, training and employment and social policies, including through sectoral and territorial pacts to mobilise for reform at the national, regional and local levels.
Article 6
Involvement of partners
2. To encourage adequate participation of the social partners in actions supported by the ESF, the managing authorities of an operational programme in a region defined in Article 90(2)(a) or (b) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 or in a Member State eligible for support from the Cohesion Fund shall ensure that, according to the needs, an appropriate amount of ESF resources is allocated to capacity building activities, in the form of training, networking measures, and strengthening of the social dialogue, and to activities jointly undertaken by the social partners.
3. To encourage the adequate participation of, and access by, non-governmental organisations in and to actions supported by the ESF, in particular in the fields of social inclusion, gender equality and equal opportunities, the managing authorities of an operational programme in a region defined in Article 90(2)(a) or (b) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 or in a Member State eligible for support from the Cohesion Fund shall ensure that an appropriate amount of ESF resources is allocated to capacity building for non-governmental organisations.

7. Thank you for your attention!