EU: European Commission launches public consultation on restructuring and the anticipation of change

“This Green Paper aims to identify successful practices and policies in the field of restructuring and adaptation to change in order to promote employment, growth and competitiveness as part of the Europe 2020 strategy1 and in particular the industrial policy flagship initiative of October 20102, the ‘Agenda for new skills and jobs’.”  This first sentence sets the tone of the approach chosen: this initiative on restructurings should be linked with two more initiatives: the ‘New skills for new jobs’ European skills agenda and flexibility measures.  In Community jargon, this means shifting focus from labor law to employment and, more importantly shifting the spotlight from companies and turning them to the public authorities (at national and local level), and their role in the creation of an environnment facilitating the adjustment of the company and the workers, in a moving economic context.  As a result, social dialogue on economic evolutions and on the social consequences of restructurings are sent to the background. While this approach will satisfy some, therefore will frustrate others, one can still wonder about the objective of asking, given the advancement of European institutions’ reflection on restructurings, flexicurity and the evolution of skills, such general questions, except maybe pretending to take action.