Report from social partners conferences

1
Report from social partners conferences

• Reinhard Reibsch
• EMCEF

2
Background (1)

• Debate about chemicals legislation and REACH
  started in the late 90s without involving
  CEE-countries very much
• Changes in societies in CEE as well as
  enlargement process had dominated EU-relations
  for a long time
• Chemical Industry had to find its role within the
  EU-economy

3
Background (2)

• Changes in chemical industry had set other
  priorities than EU-industrial policy on the
  agenda of social partners
• Social dialogues on sectoral level had not
  touched on REACH in large
• Involvement of the social partners in industrial
  policy matters is regarded as crucial for future
  perspectives

4
The initiative

• Should be based on experience of social partners
  in chemical industry since 2000
• Involvement of social partners in EU-discussion
  as a target
• Transfer information on REACH to new member
  states and candidate countries
• Create links and help to improve social dialogues
  on national level via dialogue in the conference
  and work shop

5
The project

• Common project of ECEG and EMCEF
• Application for financial support from the EU for
  a conference in Prague 23/24 of March and a
  work-shop in Bucharest 29/30 of May
• Involvement of experts from EU-Commission, social
  partners and Bilbao Agency

6
Prague conference

• Information on the REACH-proposal from the
  EU-Commission
• Exchange on national points of view from old and
  new EU-countries
• Social dialogue and industrial policy
• Health and Safety at the workplace and in
  relation to chemical substances
• Further initiatives of ECEG and EMCEF

7
Bucharest workshop

• Exchange of information on the REACH-legislation
  between social partners in EU and candidate
  countries
• Exchange of experience on social dialogues on
  European and national level
• Health and Safety at the work place and
  initiatives of the social partners
• Ways to involve social partners in the future on
  industrial policy issues

8
Conclusions

• Both events have helped to improve dialogue
  between social partners
• Exchange between old, new and future EU-countries
  social partners was very much appreciated from
  participants
• Social partners could play an important role also
  on industrial policy
• There are more issues to be looked after in the
  future