Brussels, 04/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission gave a favourable welcome to the conclusions of the report drafted by the High Level Group on Industrial Relations chaired by Professor Maria Joao Rodrigues on the "Future of Industrial Relations" (see EUROPE of 1 March, p.12). The report calls for the setting in place at every level (European, national, regional and even company level) of a new action programme on industrial relations which would focus on certain priorities: competitiveness and innovation with social cohesion, wage responsiveness, social inclusion and social protection, training and life-long learning, working conditions and work organisation, new forms of employment, working time management, and reconciliation of work and family life. In order to face up to the new challenges (enlargement, globalisation, EMU, technological changes, etc.), the report sets out recommendations to the attention of the European policy-makers, and above all the social partners. In particular, the Group: 1) proposes that social partners should have their own experience of the open method of coordination, adjusted to the specific nature of industrial relations; 2) calls for a definition of indicators to measure progress made in the promotion of the quality of industrial relations - social partners being invited to play an active part in this process; 3) considers that European social dialogue should contribute to successful enlargement and to meeting the new challenges of the post-enlargement years.
Presenting the report to the press, Odile Quintin, Director General (DG Employment) at the European Commission, pointed out that follow-up would be ensured by the Commission, which will soon be publishing a communication on the future of social dialogue. The report, which was examined by the European social partners at the meeting of the social dialogue committee, on 28 February in Brussels, will be presented by Anna Diamantopoulou at the Employment and Social Policy Council on 7 March. Ms Rodrigues pointed out that the Group had also given its support to the creation of a Social Consultation Forum allowing social partners to be consulted before the Spring Summit. The Social Summit is fine, but, Ms Rodrigues believes, one can do better from the social consultation point of view.