Der neue Sozialdialog auf europäischer Ebene : Erfahrungen und Perspektiven (The new European Social Dialogue : evidence and perspectives)

"The article analyses the Protocol on Social Policy and its Agreement appended to the Treaty on European Union and the new Social Chapter resp. not only in legal, but mainly in empirical perspective. The first part consists of a short summary of the basics of the new procedural rules qualified majority voting vs. unanimity, consultation and negotiations of the social partners) and the status of the corporate actors (ETUC, UNICE). In the second part, the first attempts of using the provisions of the Protocol are dealt with (European Works Councils, parental leave, burden of proof of sex discrimination, part time work). Different problems emerging in the implementation processes of the results of legal enactment and voluntary agreements are the focus of the following analysis (interpretation and application of differing legal provisions, representativity of the signatory parties, problems of package deals, democratic legitimisation). In the concluding section, the main findings are summarised (scope of ambivalent results), and a more or less pessimistic outlook on future perspectives is given." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))