On 12 October 2020, EFEE attended the Liaison Forum of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), which took place online. The Liaison Forum brings together EU cross-industry and sectoral social partners to discuss the latest developments in the field of social dialogue. The Liaison forum was opened by Mr David-Pascal Dion, Head of Unit for Social Security at DG EMPL, who is the Task Project Manager for the Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights. Mr Dion invited the social partners to focus their contributions on this Action Plan to tangible actions in order to make the Action Plan as practical as possible. Special Advisor to the Action Plan, Ms Andrea Nahles, will furthermore organize a workshop with sectoral and cross-sectoral social partners on 12 November.

Following the presentation by Mr Dion, the Liaison Forum received an update on the social dialogue developments in the EU, including the introduction of the Autonomous Social Partners Agreement on Digitalisation by the cross-sectoral partners. Subsequently, the Renewal of the European Partnership for Integration was highlighted by a representative from DG Home. Against this background, EFEE and ETUCE presented their “European Sectoral Partners in Education promoting effective integration of migrants and refugees in education” project of 2018-2019 to the Liaison Forum. The meeting was closed by the presentation of the Renewed European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) by Norbert Schoebel, Team Leader at Skills for the Young, VET, Apprenticeships and Adult Learning Unit at DG EMPL. The priorities of this renewed EAfA include the reinforcement of the social partners’ involvement as well as increasing the number of joint sectoral pledges.

For more details, please contact isaline.ossieur@educationemployers.eu