The tripartite social summit for growth and employment (TSS) was set up in 2003 to formalise the practice of holding high-level, informal meetings between the commission, the EU presidency and the EU social partners since 1997 in the framework of the European employment strategy, the Lisbon strategy, and subsequently the Europe 2020 strategy. Since 2003, the TSS has been a separate event from the European council meetings and has broadly fulfilled its aim of facilitating the exchange of views at the highest level between the EU institutions and the EU social partners.
Until the Lisbon treaty entered into force, the meetings were co-chaired by the council presidency and the president of the commission. However, the Lisbon treaty brought in significant institutional changes, most importantly with the creation of the role of president of the European council, and with the recognition of the role of the TSS as part of the EU social dialogue, which together duly justified revising the 2003 council decision.
To maintain the logic of the treaty and of the TSS institutional setting, the role and responsibilities that the 2003 council decision attributed to the rotating presidency of the council should be transferred to the newly created function of president of the European council. In addition, the overall policy framework had to be revised, replacing the Lisbon strategy with the Europe 2020 strategy and specifying how the TSS for growth and employment contributes to the overall governance.
The European parliament delivered a so-called interim report before the council decision, in consent procedure. I personally negotiated with the social partners, the European commission and the council, and as there was broad support from most stakeholders for the idea of a limited/technical revision, my report follows this line. The council agreed in principle on a decision at the employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs council in March, however, the final technical adoption depends on the consent of some member states' national parliaments, which is scheduled for 2015.
In view of the importance of efficient employment policies in the EU, I find it of utmost necessity that the social partners have the possibility to negotiate at least twice a year at the highest level with EU leaders. Only this way we can provide stability in EU decision making in the field of employment and social affairs.