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More efficient law-making in social policy: identification of areas for an enhanced move to qualified majority voting

Employment and social affairs

The Communication will explore how to make the decision-making on social policy more efficient using the possibilities in the EU Treaties. An enhanced use of qualified majority voting in social policy would allow the EU to keep pace with economic and societal developments arising notably from globalisation, the digital revolution and new forms of work. It is meant to trigger a debate and to contribute to the Sibiu Summit on 9 May 2019 to give a perspective for the future of the Union until 2025.

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Public consultation

ID: 2023

Lobbying Activity

21 responses

BusinessEurope opposes EU move to majority voting on social policy

BUSINESSEUROPE, 15 Jan 2019

BusinessEurope urges the Commission to abandon the proposal and preserve unanimity voting for social policy. They argue these areas are core national competences where EU should play only a supportive role, not interfere through legislation.
This preserves national control over social security systems and collective bargaining rules.
Workers and citizens lose faster EU action on cross-border social protections and rights.

Consultation response

EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION, 23 Jan 2019

Summary: The ETUC has not taken a specific position on (the use of) ‘Passerelle’ clauses. However, it did express itself at several occasions both in general (e.g. in relation to subsequent Treaty revisions) and/or in specific issue-related resolutions on the need to have more efficient…

Consultation response

SMEunited aisbl, 21 Dec 2018

See the SMEunited contribution as file attached.

Consultation response

Vereniging VNO-NCW, 16 Jan 2019

The EU should give direction to social policy not by taking away responsibilities from Member States but by supporting and complementing Member States to act in the field of social policy. The Treaty clearly defines which areas of social policy fall under qualified majority voting and which areas…

Finnish industry group opposes more majority voting in social policy

Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, 23 Jan 2019

The organization strongly opposes shifting social policy areas to majority voting. They demand that the current balance between unanimity and majority voting remain.
Preserving unanimity protects the unique competitiveness of the Finnish business environment.
The European Commission loses its ability to bypass national vetos for legislation.

Consultation response

Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, 18 Jan 2019

The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise strongly opposes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce more qualified majority voting in the area of social policy. • The Commission wrongly asserts that this is a response to citizens’ expectations, and not identified problems, while that which…

Consultation response

SGI Europe, 24 Jan 2019

CEEP is highly skeptical about the opportunity to use, in the present political context, the passerelle clause of the Lisbonne treaty in the social sphere. CEEP is an organisation which, together with its employers and trade-union counterparts, contributed to the very definition and…

Consultation response

Caritas Europa, 16 Jan 2019

Caritas Europa, a network of 49 member organisations in 46 countries across the European continent, working with people of all faiths to end poverty and to promote the dignity of all people. is in favour of moving to qualified majority voting in the Council, where the possibility is foreseen in…

Consultation response

Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände e.V., 16 Jan 2019

Please find BDA's position in the attachment.

Consultation response

European Community Shipowners' Associations, 24 Jan 2019

ECSA, the recognized EU sectoral social partner, representing employers of the maritime transport sector strongly opposes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce more qualified majority voting in social policy. The areas under unanimity voting rules are core pillars of national…

Consultation response

European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, 14 Jan 2019

Moving from a special legislative (e.g. consultation) procedure to the ordinary legislative (i.e. co-decision) procedure means that the European Parliament finally becomes a real co-legislator on an equally powerful footing with the Member States in the Council, instead of being just consulted. In…

Consultation response

Platform of European Social NGOs, 17 Jan 2019

Social Platform is the largest network of European rights- and value-based civil society organisations working in the social sector. Our 48 member organisations represent more than 2,800 national organisations, associations and other voluntary groups at local, regional and national level in every…

Consultation response

Confederation of Danish Employers, 23 Jan 2019

The Confederation of Danish Employers (DA) as other BusinessEuropes members support very strongly what is set out in the position paper of BusinessEurope. In particular that in the Maastricht and Amsterdam treaties the areas under unanimity and areas excluded from EU legislation was introduced in…

Metal industry employers reject shift to majority voting

Council of European Employers of the Metal, Engineering and Technology-based Industries, 21 Jan 2019

Ceemet argues that the areas currently falling under unanimity voting rules should remain as they are. They insist that the Commission should not propose using the passerelle clauses in any area of social policy.
Preserving unanimity protects national industries from burdensome top-down European social regulations.
Member States risk losing sovereign control over their national social security budgets.

German chemical industry urges maintaining unanimity in social policy

Bundesarbeitgeberverband Chemie e.V., 18 Jan 2019

The BAVC urges the Commission to abandon plans for expanded majority voting. They insist member states must keep their veto to protect diverse national systems. EU social policy should focus on voluntary cooperation and supporting national reforms.
Preserving unanimity protects the chemical industry's influence over national labor and social negotiations.
Proponents of EU-wide social standards lose the ability to overcome national vetoes.

Consultation response

European Chemical Employers Group, 23 Jan 2019

As the recognized EU sectoral social partner, representing employers of the chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber and plastics industries, the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG) has produced its own view on the President Juncker’s 2018 letter of intent on making use of the so-called passerelle…

Consultation response

European Network of Social Integration Enterprises, 17 Jan 2019

ENSIE, European Network of Social Integration Enterprises, regroupant réseaux et fédérations nationales et régionales d’entreprises sociales qui emploient des personnes défavorisées, remercie la Commission pour l’opportunité de ‘feedback’. Certes la pratique du vote à l’unanimité souligne la…

Consultation response

Local Government Denmark, 17 Jan 2019

see attached fil

Consultation response

Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, 17 Jan 2019

The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) declared at Gothenburg Summit the 17th November 2017 that collective bargaining is at the heart of the Swedish labour market. We have a high level of organization for trade unions and employers’ associations. The social dialogue is…

Consultation response

, 17 Jan 2019

The division of competences between the EU and the Member States regarding social policy is adequate at the moment and more qualified majority voting should not be introduced. The current areas for unanimity voting are sufficient and justified. The social systems in each Member State have…

Consultation response

Arbeitsgemeinschaft berufsständischer Versorgungseinrichtungen e.V., 16 Jan 2019

Regarding the exceptional importance of European social policy, ABV is particularly concerned about an appropriate design of decision making processes at EU level in this area. As the umbrella organisation of the German pension schemes for liberal professions we strongly point out that it is of…