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“Social dialogue suffered during the crisis years […] I would like to be a President of social dialogue.” That was the statement made by then European Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker while presenting his Commission’s political guidelines to the European Parliament in July 2014. Fast forward eight months to his speech at the BusinessEurope Day event today [26 March]:

“My aim – and my duty – is to act in the European interest, at a moment when Europe is being called into question. To address the issues that matter for citizens, and can bring Europe closer to its citizens. To build a stronger and more prosperous Europe, but also a more social and caring one, a “fairer Europe”, to reconcile citizens not only with the European project, but also with themselves, and to make a real difference.”

Mr Juncker’s commitments and aspirations, while admirable, do not line up; entering into a dialogue with social partners – employers, represented by lobbies like BusinessEurope, and workers, represented by trade unions – cannot alone address the “social emergency” identified by Mr Juncker’s predecessor, José Manuel Barroso. Civil society organisations (CSOs) represent the interests of those affected by laws developed by decision-makers through dialogue with social partners. Despite the fact that CSOs can provide valuable insight into the impact of legislation and assist in developing policies that benefit all people, the European Union (EU) has yet to establish a structured dialogue with civil society, as it has with social partners.

If Mr Juncker is serious about building a “more social” Europe, he should place civil dialogue at the very top of his list of priorities. The legal foundations for establishing such a dialogue already exist in the form of article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty, which includes a commitment to “maintain[ing] an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society.” Despite the Lisbon Treaty’s introduction six years ago, article 11 has still not been implemented. A pledge from the European Commission to establish a regular, structured, meaningful civil dialogue is more important than ever for combating the worsening “social emergency” that has been exacerbated by the adoption of economic policies without due thought given to their social consequences. Until this step is taken, Mr Juncker’s hopes of a “fairer Europe” will remain a mere pipedream, to the detriment of us all.

We will build upon our 2009 publication “How to establish an effective dialogue between the EU and CSOs” in our Task Force on civil dialogue. For further information please consult our website or contact Annica Ryngbeck, Policy & Advocacy Adviser.