European Centre for Industrial Relations, CERI

OBJECTIVE: to create a European Centre for Industrial Relations in order to introduce European training for employer and trade union representatives appointed by their confederations of industry and trades union congresses. The purpose of this joint initiative by the social partners (ETUC, UNICE and ECPE) is to familiarize trade union and employer representatives with the problems connected with social dialogue at national and European level. CONTENT: the Commission informs the Council and the European Parliament that it hopes to create the Centre quickly and intends to finance its work. The training courses provided by the Centre should enable the management and workers' representatives designated by their organizations to: - acquire general knowledge about the structure of Europe and how the institutions work; - evaluate and extrapolate the data from socio-economic scenarios in their various dimensions; - compare industrial relation models and structures in Europe in order to identify the instruments and subjects of collective bargaining and the forms of economic and social regulation which promote social dialogue. Training will be provided in the form of long courses and short courses. The Centre will also enable participants to exchange information on the system of professional relations in the Member States, the respective roles of the state and the social partners and the structures and modus operandi of employer and trade union organizations and Community policies. The Centre will comprise a board of directors, a scientific council, an honorary committee and an executive secretariat. Relations between the Commission and the European Centre for Industrial Relations will be governed by an agreement.�