Dialogue social européen
In 2005, the European social dialogue celebrated its 20th year: a successful but difficult, steady and ambitious ascent towards the institutionalisation and autonomy of this unique process of introducing industrial relations at European level. As an integral part of the institutional community acquis, at the latest since the introduction of the agreement on social policy in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the European Social Dialogue is, at all levels and in its various forms, an important tool for reconciling economic performance and social progress.
The involvement of the social partners at the European level is organised around three different types of activities:
- tripartite consultation, which comprises the exchanges between the social partners and the European public authorities;
- consultation of the social partners, which covers the activities of the consultative committees and official consultations in the spirit of Article 137 of the Treaty;
- the European social dialogue as such, which is the name given to the bipartite work of the social partners, whether or not it stems from the official consultations of the Commission based on Articles 137 and 138 of the TEC.