London Tripartite Summit to discuss social partners' contribution to the future of the EU - Main contents

EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso i and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair discuss with the European social partners (employer and trade union organisations) today about what they think are the economic and social reforms necessary to meet the challenges of globalisation and to sustain Europe's social model.

The two leaders will attend the informal Tripartite Social Summit in London, along with EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidla i, Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and representatives of the social partners. The meeting is the social partners' final opportunity to provide input into the Heads of Government Summit on the future of the EU's economic and social model at Hampton Court, UK on 27 October.

EU Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Vladimir Spidla, hopes for a frank exchange of views leading to concrete results. 'The social partners have a fundamental contribution to make to the European economic and social model debate. If we are going to adapt, we have to do it with their help. Today's summit gives us a chance to hear how they feel that can happen,' he said.

Later this week, the Hampton Court Summit will look at how the EU's economic and social goals can be attained against the backdrop of increasing globalisation, competitiveness and an ageing population. President Barroso already mentioned in a letter to the social partners on October 7 that a clear message from them coming out of today's meeting would provide valuable input to the Hampton Court summit.

The recent Social Dialogue Summit in Brussels showed that there is a large measure of consensus between employers and trade unions on the way for Europe out of the current crisis. Their points of agreement centre on joint support of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, consensus on the need to adapt social systems and labour markets to preserve shared values of solidarity and social cohesion, and the urgent need for European leaders to adopt a new budget. President Barroso called on the social partners to build on this successful event.

Mr Spidla will emphasise that new policy instruments combining more flexibility for companies and security for workers (a concept also known as 'flexicurity') will play a major role in forming the future of the European social and economic model. Although social protection (or welfare) and labour market systems are the preserve of Member States, action at European level on issues such as training, mobility or reconciling work and family life issues would certainly involve the social partners.