Social Partners’ Framework Agreements

Dialogue between the European social partners exists at both cross-sectoral and sectoral level. The participants in the cross-sectoral social dialogue – ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE (private sector employers)/UEAPME (small businesses),and CEEP (public employers) – have concluded a number of agreements that have been ratified by the Council of Ministers and are now part of European legislation, notably on:

- parental leave (1996)

- part-time work (1997)

- fixed-term contracts (1999)

The social partners have also concluded voluntary agreements on telework (2002), work-related stress (2004), and on harassment and violence at work (2007).