Social Standards

Documents

Here we have put together a collection of important documents on the theme of “Social Standards” in the European agricultural sector. Some of these have been prepared by the PECO Institute in connection with projects run by IG BAU and other trades unions, while others are official documents and agreements from trades unions, the European Union, the EESC and other important institutions.

The following texts provide important background information.

In 2003 and 2004 IG BAU and the PECO Institute ran a project on Social Standards funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour. The project brochure is available here in three languages.

• Soziale Standards und Sozialzertifizierung in Europa (DE)
• Sociální standardy a sociální certifikace v Evropě (CZ)
• Standardy socjalne i certyfikaty w Unii Europejskiej (PL)

The umbrella organisations of the European social partners in agriculture, the EFFAT (EGB) and the GEOPA-COPA concluded a „European Agreement on Vocational Training in Agriculture” in 2002. This is how the social partners have addressed the growing cross-border migration of workers. The Agreement is to contribute to a better comparability of the qualifications and to an increase in the level of education.

• Europäische Vereinbarung über die berufliche Bildung in der Landwirtschaft
• European Agreement on Vocational Training in Agriculture
• Accord européen sur la formation professionnelle en agriculture

The enlargement of the European Union has a great impact especially on the agricultural sector and the rural areas of Europe. Just how the structural breaks can be overcome is the subject of an initiative paper of the European Economic and Social Committee. The initiative, submitted by rapporteur Hans-Joachim Wilms, may serve as a “socio-economic orientation” for a sustained development in the agricultural sector and the rural areas altogether.

• Beschäftigungssituation in der Landwirtschaft der EU und den Bewerberländern - Handlungsoptionen für 2010
• The agricultural employment situation in the EU and the accession countries: options for action for 2010
• La situation de l'emploi dans l'agriculture de l'EU et des pays candidats: perspectives d'action pour 2010
• La situatione occupazionale nel settore agricolo nel'EU e nei paesi candidati: prospettive di azione per il 2010

Already since 1999, the agricultural unions have been dealing with cross-border wage problems more intensively. A first statement was adopted in 1999 by the EAL-IUL/EFFAT: „Principles for coordinating collective bargaining policy at a European level”

• EAL-IUL/EFFAT Grundsätze einer Koordinierung der Tarifpolitik auf Europäischer Ebene
• EAL-IUL/EFFAT Principles for coordinating collective bargaining policy at European level
• Principes du SETA-UITA/EFFAT sur la coordination de la politique des négociations collectives a l'échelle Européenne

Cross border meetings on wage policy issues were conducted in 2000 both with Western European trade unions as well as Central European trade unions. These meetings resulted in a project that was sponsored by the European Union. „Collective Bargaining in the agriculture of North Western Europe” was discussed and assessed in several workshops.

• Kollektivvereinbarungen in der Landwirtschaft Nordwesteuropas
• Agricultural Collective Bargaining Project for North Western Europe

You can find the EFFAT documents (Principles for coordinating…. and the Agreement on Vocational Training under www.effat.org