European Programme to Support for social dialogue

Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals VP/2015/001 “Support for social dialogue” has been published by the European Commission, Directorate Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion.

 

The overall purpose of the current “Support for social dialogue” call is to promote social dialogue at cross-industry and sectorial level and to develop European social dialogue in its different dimensions of information exchange, consultation, negotiation and joint action.

 

The objectives of the Support for social dialogue” call include measures and initiatives related to the adaptation of social dialogue to changes in employment and work related challenges, such as addressing modernisation of the labour market, quality of work, anticipation, preparation and management of change and restructuring, the greening of the economy, flexicurity, skills, (intra-EU) labour mobility, migration, youth employment, health and safety at work, modernisation of social protection systems, reconciliation of work and family life, gender equality, action in the field of anti-discrimination, active ageing, healthier and longer working lives, active inclusion and decent work.

 

As expected results, actions under the current “Support for social dialogue” call should contribute to the priorities and activities of European social dialogue, including those that form part of the European Commission's commitment to relaunch and strengthen social dialogue. In that context, particular emphasis is put on strengthening the involvement of social partners in the European Semester and enhancing their contribution to EU policy making. Measures which contribute to addressing the employment and social and economic dimensions of EU priorities relating to the recovery from the crisis, taking into account the need for social convergence between Member States, and to reaching the objectives and targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives, will also be particularly welcome.

 

Projects funded under the current “Support for social dialogue” call will be proposed jointly by employers' and workers' organisations and must aim at implementing (parts of) the work programme of European social dialogue committees, as well as measures to foster the implementation of European social dialogue outcomes, reinforce their impact and visibility, and support follow-up and reporting are a high priority. Strengthening synergies and exchanges between European social dialogue sectoral committees and between the sectoral committees and the inter-professional level is a horizontal objective. Measures to support the European social partners and social dialogue committees in their contribution to impact assessment of the employment and social dimensions of EU initiatives will also be particularly welcome.

 

The measures targeted by “Support for social dialogue” call are the following:

- measures to prepare European social dialogue, such as preparatory surveys, meetings and conferences;

- measures regarded as part of social dialogue within the meaning of Articles 154 and 155 TFEU, such as negotiations, preparatory meetings for negotiations or activities relating to the implementation of negotiated agreements and other negotiated outcomes;

- measures to implement the European social partners' work programmes (such as the organisation of round tables, exchanges of experience and networks of key actors);

- measures to monitor and follow up European social dialogue activities and outcomes, such as initiatives to disseminate and evaluate the results of European social dialogue through European or national events, or through studies and (paper or electronic) publications (including the translation);

- measures to improve the coordination, functioning and effectiveness of European social dialogue, including through the identification and development of joint approaches by the social dialogue committees, such as the exchange of good practice and related joint training events;

- measures to strengthen the capacity of social partners to contribute to European social dialogue with particular attention to new Member States and Candidate Countries (such as information and training seminars);

- measures by social partners which contribute to the process of relaunch and strengthening of social dialogue initiated by the European Commission, with regard in particular to the involvement of social partners in the European Semester and their contribution to EU policy making;

- measures by social partners which contribute to the employment and social and economic dimensions of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including the monitoring and analysis of its impact on labour markets;

- measures to support the contributions European social partners and social dialogue committees provide to impact assessment of the employment and social dimensionsof EU initiatives.

 

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of the action is estimated at EUR 8 865 000 maximum. Under this call for proposals, the European Commission may decide to finance up to 90% of the total eligible cost of the action. In derogation from the previous paragraph, the European Commission may decide to finance up to 95% of the total cost of social dialogue actions involving negotiations in accordance with Articles 154 and 155 TFEU, meetings to prepare for these negotiations (second bullet point under targeted measures), or joint social partner actions relating to the implementation of the agreements resulting from these negotiations. The Union funding per project will not be less than EUR 108.000. The duration of actions can be up to 24 months. For actions directly related to EU social dialogue outcomes – such as agreements – and covering the full cycle of implementation and evaluation of such outcomes, a longer duration (i.e. beyond 24 months) could exceptionally be considered.

 

The deadline for submitting proposals in the framework of the current “Support for social dialogue” call for proposals is 15 June 2015.

 

Further information on the current call for proposals is available on the European Commission’s web site at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=629&langId=en&callId=422&furtherCalls=yes