Almost 40 years after the first summit in Val Duchesse, Belgium, the social partners met at the same venue, on 31 January, under the aegis of the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The aim is to reach agreement on a re-launch of social dialogue, a few weeks on from the failure of negotiations over a framework agreement on teleworking and the right to disconnect.
The first summit of social partners at Val Duchesse, in 1985, was convened by the then European Commission president, Jacques Delors. On 31 January, the day chosen by the Brussels institution to pay tribute to the French political leader who died in December 2023, the second edition of the summit is taking place. “He believed that there could be no united Europe without a Europe built on social dialogue,” says president Ursula von der Leyen, who intends to “strengthen” it.
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Article authors
Antoine Piel
Section Head at Mind HR