The Social Partners Conference “Employment and Social Dialogue within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership” will be held in Berlin today, Friday, 16 March 2007. Ministers of the Member States and representatives of the EU Commission, trade unions and employers’ federations will take part. A total of around 190 delegates are expected to attend.
This is the first time a conference will aim to intensify inter-regional and subregional cooperation on employment and social policy between the EU Member States and the southern Mediterranean countries. The basis for this dialogue was created by the Barcelona Process which has promoted political, economic and cultural cooperation between these states since 1995. More focus is now to be placed on the social dimension. This is the only way a common area of security and prosperity can be created in the long term.
The Conference is being hosted by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and is being funded by the EU Commission. The participants will include the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Franz Müntefering, the Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla.
The opportunity will be provided in a number of different forums and at a podium discussion to exchange experiences and to provide new impetus to enhance the employment impact of the EU Neighbourhood Policy. For there is no way the common area of security and prosperity can be created without an effective social dialogue and new jobs. The consequence would be a growing threat to social stability in the southern Mediterranean and a deterioration in social and economic development.
The Conference that will be held at the Federal Foreign Office and at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is also intended to play a role in implementing the EU strategy on the social dimension in the context of globalisation.
Further information are available on www.eu2007.de or on the website of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affaires.
