The Commission promotes European social dialogue at cross-industry and sectoral level.

Cross-industry social dialogue

Cross-industry social dialogue covers the whole economy and labour market.

The Social Dialogue Committee:

• is the main body for cross-industry social dialogue at European level;
• it consists of representatives of the recognised European cross-industry social partners and their national member organisations;
• it meets 3-4 times a year to discuss employment and social topics of common interest, to adopt texts negotiated by both parties and plan future activities.

At cross-industry level, the European social dialogue takes place between the following organisations:

• European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Confederation of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE, formerly UNICE)
• SGI Europe (formerly CEEP)
• SMEunited
• Eurocadres (the Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff) and European Confederation of Executives and Managerial Staff (CEC)

More information:

• Outcomes of the cross-industry social dialogue
• CIRCA database of committee documents

Sectoral social dialogue committee

Sectoral social dialogue was formalised in 1998 with the Commission Decision 98/500/EC of 20 May 1998 establishing Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees.

The aim of the Committees is to be consulted on developments at EU level having social implications as well as to develop and to promote the dialogue between the social partners at EU sectoral level.

The Decision also established the criteria that need to be fulfilled for the creation of a Committee as well as its operation. The number of Committees has increased from 19 in 1999 to currently 44.

The sectoral social dialogue committees are established with due regard for the autonomy of the social partners.

The social partner organisations must apply jointly to the European Commission in order to take part in a social dialogue at European level.

The European organisations representing employers and workers must, when submitting this application, meet a number of criteria:

• they relate to specific sectors or categories, and be organised at European level;
• they consist of organisations which are themselves an integral and recognised part of Member State's social partner structures, and have the capacity to negotiate agreements, and which are representative of several Member States;
• they have adequate structures to ensure their effective participation in the work of the Committees.

The 44 Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees consist of 65 European employers’ organisations and 15 European trade union federations and represent approximately 185 million workers and over 6 million firms across the EU.

Composition of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees

The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees consist of representatives of the social partners, comprising an equal number of employers' and workers' representatives.

They are chaired either by a representative of the social partners or, at their request, by a representative of the Commission.

Operation of the sectoral social dialogue committees

Each Committee adopts its own rules of procedure, and holds at least one plenary meeting per year.

Each year European sectoral social partners adopt between 30 and 50 joint outcome positions on a wide range of topics.

Relevant documents from the work of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees are available on the dedicated page on Circa BC