On 13th June 2019, the Thematic Network on Partnership (PTN) of the ESF Transnational Platform held a peer review with social partners. It was organised in collaboration with the Social and Economic Council of Flanders (SERV), the ESF Agency in Flanders (Belgium), Business Europe, SMEunited and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

The meeting brought together a selection of national social partner and ESF Managing Authority representatives to explore effective social partner involvement in ESF Operational Programme cycles and projects through the positive examples of Flanders (Belgium) and Germany.

The peer review had participants from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania. These countries were targeted because the need for capacity building support for social partners has been identified in the Country Reports issued within the framework of the European Semester process.

Issues addressed in the meeting built upon the results of a survey conducted among participants from those countries where the main challenges faced in relation to social partner involvement in ESF were flagged.

The meeting emphasised:

• the specific role played by social partners in relation to ESF.
• the need to reinforce the implementation of the partnership principle and the European Code of Conduct on Partnership (ECCP).
• the need to promote knowledge of successful institutionalised models of working with social partners within ESF, especially among Member States where their participation could be improved.

Additional resources:

Agenda

Presentations

Minutes

/esf/transnationality/file/report-thematic-expertReport from Thematic Expert

Report from Thematic Expert