Tripartite social summit for growth and employment

2013/0361(APP)

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (Parliament consent), the interim report by Csaba ŐRY (EPP, HU) on the proposal for a Council decision on a Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment.

In the framework of the interim report, Members made a series of amendments that may be summarised as follows:

Involving the social partners: Members recalled the position of the social partners and their declaration adopted on 24 October 2013 in which it confirmed their support for the Tripartite Social Summit for growth and employment and called for a coherent process of consultation of the social partners in the context of the European Semester.

They recalled on this occasion their expertise in the relevant areas.

Composition: Members stipulated that the Summit should consist of the President of the European Council, the Council Presidency and the two subsequent presidencies, the Commission and the social partners, represented at the highest level. The ministers from those three presidencies and the Commissioner responsible for employment and social affairs should also be present. Depending on the agenda, other ministers from these three presidencies, other Commissioners and the Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament may also be invited to take part. The agenda for the Summit should be determined jointly by, and based on the equal partnership between, the Council, the Commission and the workers’ and employers’ cross-industry organisations taking part in the work of the Summit.

Monitoring: the Summit should meet at least twice a year and the meetings should be held before the respective spring and autumn sessions of the European Council, and the outcome of the Summit shall be presented to the following European Council for decision-making. The joint chairmen should draw up a summary of the Summit’s discussions in order to inform the relevant Council configurations, the European Parliament and the general public.