In preparation for the customary tripartite social summit, which takes place on the eve of European summits, the European social partners — the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (BusinessEurope), the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation (CEEP) — reached an agreement to put forward three common messages to EU heads of state and government, which will meet at the European Council on 17 and 18 March. These joint statements cover the integration of refugees, industrial policy and industrialisation. Social partners also released a joint declaration entitled “a new starting point for strong social dialogue” which they hope to turn into an agreement with the EU Council and the Commission.
Relaunching social dialogue. These meetings, organised on the eve of each European summit for social partners to meet before meeting heads of states and government, usually cover economic issues. In addition to those issues, this tripartite social summit was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made towards making sure social partners at all levels are associated, before reforms are established and after they are put into practice, as per the commitment made by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.
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