WRITTEN QUESTION P-0307/03

by Othmar Karas (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Participation in the Tripartite Social Summit

On 26 June 2002 the Commission presented the Communication entitled The European social dialogue, a force for innovation and change, and the proposal for a Council decision establishing a Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment(1). The Tripartite Summit is intended to replace the Standing Committee on Employment with the stated aim of enabling the social partners to make their contribution to the various strands of the Lisbon strategy.

How does the Commission intend to take account of the fact that the Lisbon strategy, which seeks to integrate economic, social and environmental policy, is setting challenges which cannot necessarily be met solely by means of the efforts of the old Val Duchesse social partners (UNICE, ETUC and CEEP)?

For what reason does the proposal establishing a Tripartite Social Summit make no provision for participation by Eurochambres, even though on a number of occasions the European Commission has drawn attention to the very significant role which the socio-economic partners play in the Lisbon process and has supported the chambers in their role as managers of change?

For what reason does the proposal make no provision for participation by EuroCommerce, even though the sector it represents is Europe's second largest employer?

(1) COM(2002) 341 final.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

The proposal to establish a Tripartite Social Summit on a formal basis, by means of a Council decision, was adopted by the Commission along with the Communication on European Social Dialogue as a force for innovation and change on 26 June 2002(1). It was in response to the Val Duchesse interprofessional social partners' joint declaration to the Laeken European Council, December 2001.

The Tripartite Social Summit represents the formalisation of an existing arrangement whereby the troika, the Commission President and a restricted delegation of interprofessional social partners meet on the eve of the Spring European Council to discuss the social partners' contribution to the Lisbon strategy. Such social summits already took place prior to the Spring European Councils of Stockholm March 2001 and Barcelona March 2002.

The Tripartite Social Summit does not replace the existing processes of tripartite concertation which extend beyond the Val Duchesse partners, but seeks rather to draw on the discussions in the dialogues on macroeconomic, employment, social protection, education and training issues. Furthermore, it constitutes just one of multiple fora for the preparation of the European Council and the follow-up to the Lisbon

Strategy, and there are many other channels by which the respective European institutions as well as external actors and stakeholders can bring their own ideas and contributions to the process. This includes specific and sectoral social partner organisations, other players in the economic and social fabric of Europe, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who all have a key role to play in the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy.

The Commission has indeed stressed the significant contribution of all socio-economic players in the successful implementation of the Lisbon strategy and attainment of the targets for economic and social reform, and fully recognises the role of the Chambers in the management of change represented by EuroChambres, and the importance of the commerce and retail sector, represented by EuroCommerce.

Participation in the Summit has been necessarily restricted firstly for the practical reason of its efficiency, in order to ensure that the forum operates effectively as a mechanism for tripartite concertation. Secondly, because discussions at the Tripartite Social Summit are of an interprofessional nature, it follows that it would be inappropriate to invite the participation of selected sectoral and specific organisations. EuroChambres is listed in the organisations consulted under the provisions of Article 138 as a specific organisation and EuroCommerce as a sectorial organisation. As a result, the positions of these organisations are taken into account through their participation in other European-level fora, in particular, in the case of EuroCommerce, the relevant sectorial social dialogue committee. Moreover, the proposal for a decision now contains a specific reference to the fact that the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), as the spokespersons for the employees and employers representatives respectively, must ensure that their contributions take into account the opinions of specific and sectorial organisations. This underlines the fact that the challenges of the Lisbon Strategy are not expected to be met solely by the Val Duchesse partners, but by all socio-economic partners, including EuroChambres and EuroCommerce.

(1) COM(2002) 341 final.