European Programme on Social Dialogue

Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals VP/2014/001 “Support for social dialogue” has been published by the European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

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

 

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 and 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, mobility and migration, youth employment, health and safety at work, reconciliation of work and family life, gender equality, action in the field of antidiscrimination, active ageing, healthier and longer working lives, active inclusion and decent work. Measures which contribute to addressing the employment and social dimensions of EU priorities relating to the recovery from the crisis, taking into account increasing inequalities within and between Member States, and to reaching the objectives and targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives, will be particularly welcome.

 

Under the current “Support for social dialogue” call, projects proposed jointly by employers' and workers' organisations which 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 undertake and contribute to impact assessment of the employment and social dimensions of EU initiatives will also be particularly welcome.

 

Under the current “Support for social dialogue” call for proposals, the following proposals are eligible:

- 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 conferences and other 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 employment and social dimensions of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including the monitoring and analysis of its impact on labour markets;

- measures to support the European social partners and social dialogue committees undertake and contribute to impact assessment of the employment and social dimensions of EU initiatives.

 

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of the action is estimated at EUR 4 500 000 maximum.

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. for the period 2013-2015.

The requested Union funding must not be less than EUR 108.000. Under the current “Support for social dialogue” 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 negotiations (second bullet point under targeted measures), or joint social partner actions relating to the implementation of the results of European social dialogue negotiations. The Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

 

The deadline for submitting proposals in the framework of the current “Support for social dialogue” call for proposals is 25 August 2014.

 

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=402&furtherCalls=yes.