WRITTEN QUESTION P-2643/02 by Benedetto Della Vedova (NI) to the Commission. Representativeness of the ETUC and its member organisations.
Date: 2002-09-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Economic and Social Committee, professional association, social dialogue, social partners, workers' representation

C 52 E/194

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(cid:1) non-commercial cultural exchanges;

(cid:1) artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector.

Article 151 also establishes that the Community is not responsible for ‘harmonisation of the laws and
regulations of the Member States’ (1) in the field of culture, for which the Member States alone continue to
be fully responsible.

The question raised by the Honourable Member therefore does not fall within the competence of the
Community but is a matter solely for the Member States.

(1) Article 151 of the EC Treaty, paragraph 5, first indent.

(2003/C 52 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2643/02

by Benedetto Della Vedova (NI) to the Commission

(13 September 2002)

Subject: Representativeness of the ETUC and its member organisations

According to Article 138 of the EC Treaty, inter alia, the EU institutions, and the Commission in particular,
ensure that the social partners have a role in identifying their economic and social policy objectives and
formulating policies aimed at achieving such objectives.

In view of this role not only the European institutions, but also EU citizens, should know precisely how
representative the organisations enjoying the status of ‘social partners’ are.

The ETUC/CES is recognised as the sole representative of workers employed in the private sector. However,
the ETUC/CES website only lists the member organisations, not the number of workers enrolled.

In response to telephone inquiries those in charge of the ETUC said that they were not in possession of
this information.

Can the Commission provide accurate information as to how representative the organisations it co-
operates with are, in particular the ETUC? More precisely, is it able to find out and tell the questioner how
many workers belong to each of the member organisations of the ETUC?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 2002)

The EC Treaty recognises a role for the social partners in drafting and implementing social policy. In line
with its task of promoting the European social dialogue, the Commission has set representativeness
criteria (1) to help identify the organisations consulted under Article 138 of the EC Treaty.

The Commission carried out a study on the social partners’ representativeness, the results of which are
available in detail on the following site: www.trav.ucl.ac.be/partenaires.

A list of around fifty European cross-industry and sectoral organisations has been drawn up (2). These
European organisations all consist of members recognised as social partners at national level according to
each Member State’s individual procedures and practices. Their legitimacy and representativeness cannot
therefore be questioned. They must also offer European coverage and have the necessary structures at their
disposal for action at this level.

(1) COM(93) 600 final and COM(98) 322 final.
(2) COM(2002) 341 final.