PURPOSE: to revise the substance of Council
Decision 2003/174/EC establishing the Tripartite Social Summit
for Growth and Employment (TSS) and repeal that
Decision.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the
act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
CONTENT : in a revised version of the draft decision,
the Council decided to amend the substance of Decision 2003/174/EC
on the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment as
follows:
Task: the task of
the TSS will be to:
- ensure, in compliance with the TFEU and the TEU and
with due regard for the powers of the institutions and bodies of
the Union, that there is a continuous concertation between the
European Council, the Council, the Commission and the social
partners;
- enable the European social partners to contribute, in
the context of their social dialogue, to the various components of
the Union's strategy for growth and jobs;
- facilitate synergies between the actions of the
European Council, the Council, the Commission and the social
partners aimed at the promotion of growth, a high level of
employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight
against social exclusion and a high level of education, training
and protection of human health.
Composition: the TSS
will be comprised of:
- the Presidents of the European Council and the
Commission,
- the current Council Presidency represented at the
highest level
- the two subsequent Council Presidencies
and
- the social partners.
As set out in the initial legislative proposal
presented by the Commission on 31.10.2013:
- the social partners representatives shall be
divided into two delegations of equal size comprising 10
workers representatives and 10 employers
representatives, taking into account the need to ensure a balanced
participation between men and women;
- each delegation shall consist of representatives of
European cross-industry organisations, either representing general
interests or more specific interests of supervisory and managerial
staff and small and medium-sized businesses at European
level;
- technical coordination shall be provided for the
workers delegation by the European Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC) and for the employers delegation by the Confederation
of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE).
Technical provisions are set out as
regards:
- the preparation of the Summit;
- the operation (the Summit shall meet at least twice a
year. The meetings shall be held before the respective spring and
autumn sessions of the European Council);
- information on the Summits
discussions.