Brussels, 19/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - At the tripartite social summit in Lisbon on Thursday (see EUROPE 9525), Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the agreement reached by the social partners (ETUC, BusinessEurope, CEEP and UEAPME) on the challenges facing the European labour markets. The president of the European Commission commented: 'Reforms at EU and national level can guide the economy. But workers and employers are in the engine room. They can really drive growth and jobs.' Congratulating the social partners on the agreement they reached, Barroso urged them 'to work with member states to keep moving towards flexicurity models which adapt labour markets to globalisation while giving workers meaningful protection and new opportunities. The pathways towards flexicurity depend on the starting point and on national traditions and concerns. They can sometimes seem like an uphill climb. But success is vital for our competitiveness and for the preservation and reinforcement of our social model.' Along the same lines, EU Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla added: 'The social partners are crucial in reconciling flexibility and security in a pragmatic, concrete and pertinent way for European workers and employers.' (O.L.)