2002/260/EC: Commission Decision of 27 March 2002 concerning the creation of a Group of Directors-General for Industrial Relations
Date: 2002-03-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU body for police and judicial cooperation, labour law, labour relations

L 91/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6.4.2002

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 March 2002

concerning the creation of a Group of Directors-General for Industrial Relations

(2002/260/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 211 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

In its communication on the Social Policy Agenda (1),
the Commission emphasised the need for a positive and
dynamic interaction of economic, social and employ-
ment policies; it affirms, in particular, its commitment to
taking on board changes in the working environment
and puts forward a number of actions with a view to
modernising and improving industrial relations.

In this context, the existing legislation must be adapted
and improved to reflect the new economy, in order to
promote a new equilibrium between flexibility and
security for workers.

To this end, a High Level Group must be created in
order to give advice, on its own initiative or on request,
to the Commission, to help the Commission in its work,
i.e. in preparing new Community initiatives, revising the
acquis communautaire, organising research, analyses and
studies, evaluating and implementing Community labour
and information on
training
law and providing
Community law. It could also develop the exchanges of
innovative experiences and the dissemination of good
practices in this field.

Such a permanent high level group would promote
closer cooperation between the Member States and the
Commission, whilst respecting the principle of subsi-
diarity. This cooperation is becoming more important in
view of the forthcoming enlargement of the Union, the
ever more transnational nature of industrial relations,
the process of transnational industrial restructuring and
the modernisation of labour law to make the labour
market more dynamic and which call for greater trans-
parency,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

A Group of Directors-General

1.
for Industrial Relations
(hereinafter known as the Group) is created in order to provide

a body for consultation, reflection, exchanges and cooperation
between the Member States and the Commission.

2.

Its mission is to:

(a) establish close cooperation between the institutions of the
Member States and the Commission on issues relating to
— the preparation of new Community initiatives in the

area of industrial relations,

— the application and revision of the acquis communau-

taire in the area of labour law,

— the drawing up of

research programmes, analyses,
studies, publications and measures to raise awareness
concerning Community labour law.

(b) monitor the development of policies in the area of labour

law and industrial relations;

(c) facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices in

the area of individual and collective labour law.

Article 2

The Group will comprise the Directors-General for Indus-

1.
trial Relations of the Member States.

The Group will be chaired by a Commission repres-

2.
entative.

The Group may set up groups of experts or working

3.
groups.

Article 3

1.
The Group will meet when convened by the chairperson,
either on his or her own initiative, or at the request of at least
half the members of the Group.

2.

The Group will meet in principle twice yearly.

Done at Brussels, 27 March 2002.

For the Commission

Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU

Member of the Commission

(1) COM (2000) 379 final.