Executive Summary:
Council Decision (EU) 2016/1859, enacted on October 13, 2016, establishes the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment to promote concertation between the European Council, the Council, the Commission, and social partners. It aims to facilitate dialogue and synergies for growth, employment, social protection, and education within the Union's strategy. The decision repeals Council Decision 2003/174/EC and took effect on October 21, 2016.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Purpose and Objectives:**
* Ensures continuous concertation between the European Council, the Council, the Commission, and the social partners.
* Enables social partners to contribute to the Union’s strategy for growth and jobs.
* Facilitates synergies to promote growth, employment, social protection, and education.
* **Membership of the Summit:**
* Includes the Presidents of the European Council and the Commission.
* Involves the current and two subsequent Council Presidencies, represented at the highest level.
* Comprises two delegations of social partners, each with 10 representatives, ensuring gender balance.
* Delegations include representatives from European cross-industry organizations.
* **Preparation and Operation:**
* The agenda is determined jointly by the Council, the Commission, and cross-industry social partner organizations.
* Preparatory meetings occur between the Council, the Commission, ETUC, and BUSINESSEUROPE.
* The Commission provides secretariat support.
* The Summit meets at least twice a year before the spring and autumn sessions of the European Council.
* The Summit is jointly chaired by the President of the European Council and the President of the Commission, with the participation of the current Council Presidency.
* **Reporting and Information:**
* The President of the European Council reports on the Summit's discussions and outcomes to the European Council.
* The joint chairpersons create a summary of the Summit's discussions to inform relevant Council configurations, the European Parliament, and the general public.
* **Repeal:**
* Decision 2003/174/EC is repealed, effective October 21, 2016.
Impact Analysis:
* **European Council:**
* Impact: Must participate in the Summit and receive reports on discussions.
* Action Required: The President must jointly chair the Summit and report outcomes to the European Council.
* **The Council:**
* Impact: Must participate in the Summit and contribute to agenda setting.
* Action Required: Participate in preparatory meetings and discussions.
* **European Commission:**
* Impact: Must participate in the Summit, contribute to agenda setting, and provide secretariat support.
* Action Required: The President must jointly chair the Summit, and the Commission must organize preparatory meetings and provide secretariat services.
* **Social Partners (ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, CEEP, UEAPME):**
* Impact: Are enabled to contribute to the Union’s strategy for growth and jobs through the Summit.
* Action Required: Nominate representatives for the delegations, participate in preparatory meetings, and contribute to the Summit discussions.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: One of the two primary treaties that form the constitutional basis of the European Union (TFEU).
European Commission: An executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the EU's day-to-day affairs.
European Parliament: The parliamentary body of the European Union that shares legislative and budgetary power with the Council of the European Union.
Treaty on European Union: One of the two primary treaties upon which the European Union is founded (TEU).
Lisbon European Council: Refers to the meeting of the European Council held in Lisbon, Portugal on 23 and 24 March 2000.
Europe 2020 strategy: A ten-year growth and jobs strategy launched by the European Union in 2010.
European Trade Union Confederation: The major trade union organization representing workers at the European level (ETUC).
20.10.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 284/27
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2016/1859
of 13 October 2016
on the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment and repealing Decision 2003/174/EC
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 352 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament,
Acting in accordance with a special legislative procedure,
Whereas:
(1) Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides that one of the objectives of the Union is to work
for a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress.
(2) In defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union is to take into account their social dimension,
in particular the requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate
social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of
human health, in accordance with Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
(3) The Union recognises and promotes the role of the social partners at its level and facilitates dialogue between
them while respecting their autonomy, in accordance with Article 152 TFEU. To promote a high-level
concertation with the European social partners on the overall strategy set up by the Lisbon European Council of
23 and 24 March 2000, Council Decision 2003/174/EC (1) established a Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and
Employment (‘the Summit’). The Summit is now recognised in Article 152 TFEU as an integral component of
social dialogue at Union level.
(4) The Union and its Member States are committed to cooperating within the framework of the Europe 2020
strategy, an integrated strategy designed to boost the Union's potential for growth and jobs over the period
2010-2020 (‘the Europe 2020 strategy’). The Europe 2020 strategy aims to increase coordination between
national and Union policies. In addition, the Union has recognised the need to enhance the social partners'
ownership of and involvement in that strategy, to enable the social partners to actively contribute to the
implementation of that strategy's objectives.
(5) Regulation (EU) No 1175/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) underlines that social partners
shall be involved within the framework of the European Semester, on the main policy issues where appropriate,
in accordance with the provisions of the TFEU and national legal and political arrangements.
(6) In its conclusions of 28 June 2013, the European Council noted that the social dimension of the Economic and
Monetary Union should be strengthened, and highlighted in this context the key role of the social partners and
social dialogue. Accordingly, the Commission in its Communication of 2 October 2013 entitled ‘Strengthening
the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union’, addressed the issue of the promotion of social
dialogue at national and Union level, and announced a proposal to review Decision 2003/174/EC, referring to
the Summit as an opportunity to involve the social partners in the European Semester process.
(1) Council Decision 2003/174/EC of 6 March 2003 establishing a Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment (OJ L 70,
14.3.2003, p. 31).
(2) Regulation (EU) No 1175/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2011 amending Council Regulation
(EC) No 1466/97 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic
policies (OJ L 306, 23.11.2011, p. 12).L 284/28 EN Official Journal of the European Union 20.10.2016
(7) Since its establishment pursuant to Decision 2003/174/EC, the Summit has fulfilled its key role to enable high-
level concertation. It has contributed positively to the development of social dialogue at Union level under the
Lisbon Strategy over the period 2000-2010, and under the Europe 2020 strategy.
(8) In their joint Declaration on Social Partner Involvement in European Economic Governance of 24 October 2013,
signed by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) on the workers' side, and by the Confederation of
European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE), the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public
services (CEEP) and the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) on the
employers' side, the European social partners called for a coherent process of consultation of the social partners
in the context of the European Semester, and confirmed their support for the Summit.
(9) The tasks and the membership of the Summit should be adapted in order to take into account the institutional
changes introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, in particular the creation of the function of President of the
European Council, as laid down in Article 15 TEU.
(10) This Decision is without prejudice to the organisation and operation of the national systems of industrial
relations and social dialogue.
(11) The TFEU does not provide, for the adoption of this Decision, powers other than those under Article 352 TFEU.
(12) Decision 2003/174/EC should therefore be repealed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Task
The task of the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment shall be to ensure, in compliance with the TFEU
and the TEU and with due regard for the powers of the institutions and bodies of the Union, that there is a continuous
concertation between the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the social partners. The Summit shall
enable the European social partners to contribute, in the context of their social dialogue, to the various components of
the Union's strategy for growth and jobs. It shall facilitate synergies between the actions of the European Council, the
Council, the Commission and the social partners aimed at the promotion of growth, a high level of employment, the
guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion and a high level of education, training and
protection of human health. For that purpose, it shall draw on the upstream work of and discussions between the
Council, the Commission and the social partners in the different concertation forums on economic, social and
employment matters.
Article 2
Membership
1. The Summit shall consist of the Presidents of the European Council and the Commission, and, represented at the
highest level, the current Council Presidency, the two subsequent Council Presidencies and the social partners. The
ministers from the three Council Presidencies and the Commissioner responsible for employment and social affairs shall
also participate in the Summit. Depending on the agenda, other ministers from the three Council Presidencies and other
Commissioners may also be invited to participate in the Summit.
2. The social partners' representatives shall be divided into two delegations of equal size, one comprising 10 workers'
representatives and the other comprising 10 employers' representatives, taking into account the need to ensure gender
balance.20.10.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 284/29
3. Both delegations shall consist of representatives of European cross-industry organisations, either representing
general interests or more specific interests of supervisory and managerial staff and small and medium-sized businesses at
European level.
Technical coordination shall be provided for the workers' delegation by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
and for the employers' delegation by the Confederation of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE). ETUC and BUSINES
SEUROPE shall ensure that the views expressed by the specific and sectoral organisations are fully taken into account in
their contributions and shall, where appropriate, include representatives from some of those organisations in their
delegations.
Article 3
Preparation
1. The agenda for the Summit shall be determined jointly by the Council, the Commission and the workers' and
employers' cross-industry organisations taking part in the work of the Summit. To this end, preparatory meetings shall
take place between the Council, the Commission, ETUC and BUSINESSEUROPE.
2. The matters on the agenda shall be discussed by the Council meeting in its Employment, Social Policy, Health and
Consumer Affairs configuration based, as appropriate, on a contribution of its preparatory bodies.
3. The Commission shall provide the secretariat support to the Summit. In particular, the secretariat shall ensure that
documents are distributed in adequate time. For the purposes of preparing and organising meetings, the Summit
secretariat shall establish appropriate contacts with ETUC and BUSINESSEUROPE, both of which shall be responsible for
coordinating their respective delegations.
Article 4
Operation
1. The Summit shall meet at least twice a year. The meetings shall be held before the respective spring and autumn
sessions of the European Council.
2. The Summit shall be chaired jointly by the President of the European Council and the President of the
Commission, with the participation of the current Council Presidency.
3. The meetings of the Summit shall be convened by the joint chairpersons on their own initiative, in consultation
with the social partners.
4. The President of the European Council shall report on the discussions and the outcomes of the Summit to the
European Council.
Article 5
Information
The joint chairpersons shall draw up a summary of the Summit's discussions, in order to inform the relevant Council
configurations, the European Parliament and the general public of them.
Article 6
Repeal
Decision 2003/174/EC is hereby repealed with effect from 21 October 2016.L 284/30 EN Official Journal of the European Union 20.10.2016
Article 7
Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.
Done at Luxembourg, 13 October 2016.
For the Council
The President
J. RICHTER