On 26 June 2002, the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact, Erhard Busek, and the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation ETUC, Emilio Gabaglio, met at the Headquarters of the Pact in Brussels. The two sides shared a common understanding of the importance of stability for the region, where social cohesion is a vital element for success of economic reforms and efficiency of democratic institutions. Trade unions have their role and responsibility in the stabilisation and transformation process and the Stability Pact supports their participation in the relevant areas of their competence.

Within the framework of the Initiative for Social Cohesion, the ETUC Balkans Trade Union Forum and SEE Employer Forum have already signed a joint resolution to that end, on the occasion of their first meeting in January 2002.

A project for setting up a trade union legal experts regional network, focusing on labour law and collective bargaining is to start with the support of the Swiss Government in the summer of 2002. This is part of a larger program, which foresees developing the other components of social dialogue, such as the ministries for labour and employer’s organisations. While ILO and the International Organisation for Employers will be the implementing partners, Italy and France have approved related financing.

Gabaglio and Busek agreed that there is a necessity to improve the consultation process relating to Stability Pact activities and projects in the economic and social areas and especially on national level between governments and the social partners. It was agreed to develop channels for consultation with trade unions parallel to the existing Business Advisory Council in Working Table II of the Stability Pact and SECI, starting with the meetings in autumn 2002. They also underlined the need for further efforts to draw the attention of the donor community to the importance of social cohesion activities of the trade unions and to improve co-ordination in the implementation process on the ground.

The role of the ETUC Balkans Forum Conferences was presented as a basis for developing trade union policy in the region and for contacts between SEE trade unions and (Western) European partners, which also could be able to attract much needed financial and political support. Stability Pact and the Special Coordinator personally have been invited to the Third Conference of the Forum in early 2003.

In general, social partners play a crucial role in transition processes. Therefore, major efforts are being undertaken to strengthen the expertise level of the organisations in all Stability Pact beneficiary countries, in order to establish a tripartite social dialogue. In the framework of the Stability Pact Initiative for Social Cohesion, as of December 2001, social partners in all SEE countries are in the process of establishing regional networks to that end.