Tripartite social summit for growth and employment

2013/0361(APP)

PURPOSE: to repeal Council Decision 2003/174/EC establishing a Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment and replacing it with a new text that renews the tasks of the Summit.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2016/1859 on the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment and repealing Decision 2003/174/EC.

CONTENT: with this Decision, the Council adopts a new framework for the tasks of the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment.

These tasks may be summarised as follows:

  • 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

For that purpose, the Summit shall draw on the upstream work of and discussions between the Council, the Commission and the social partners in the different concertation forums on economic, social and employment matters.

Membership: the Summit shall consist 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.

The ministers from the three Council Presidencies and the Commissioner responsible for employment and social affairs shall also participate in the Summit. 

The Decision also provides that:

  • the social partners' representatives shall be divided into two delegations of equal size, one comprising 10 workers' representatives and the other comprising 10 employers' representatives, taking into account the need to ensure gender balance;
  • both delegations 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).

There are technical provisions regarding:

  • the preparation of the Summit ;
  • the operation of the Summit (which shall meet at least twice a year, before the respective spring and autumn sessions of the European Council);
  • information regarding the Summit’s discussions.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: Decision 2003/174/EC is repealed, with effect from 21.10.2016.