How the EU shapes National Social Dialogue

The report explores how EU frameworks shape the involvement of social partners in national policymaking. As the EU is undergoing significant transformations due to digital and green transitions, geopolitical instability, and socio-economic disruptions, social partners are considered as pivotal actors in official EU narratives, contributing to policy design and effective implementation through social dialogue.
Despite the EU’s sustained efforts to promote social dialogue, it only provides minimal legal provision for its effective enforcement. In this regard, the political choices made by national governments are crucial. This creates a fundamental tension, as the EU lacks the competency to enforce specific national arrangements. As a result, national social dialogue structures and practices vary considerably, shaped by domestic traditions and political dynamics.
Addressing current shortcomings requires functioning dialogue structures capable of coordinating multilevel policymaking, targeted capacity-building for social partners, and robust mechanisms to assess the quality, not just the presence, of engagement.
The authors make concrete suggestions on how this can be achieved.