Europe needs all of us to build its future.

A social dialogue in the

context of industrial changes began within the European community almost 10 years ago and more recently we have been witnessing a civic dialogue on environmental issues. They have contributed to evolution of concepts and practices for corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) of companies. Besides the work concerning new industrial policies has been undertaken and market policies have started integrating financial concerns and shareholding in the context of world changes, including emersion of new economic powers, among others. Many difficulties are still standing in the way of progress. A better public dialogue will help to push them away. Confrontations Europe gathers managers of companies and institutions together with civic and social partners. The symposium is to inform, evaluate and open new paths towards promotion of industrial relations within the Community. Thus, it wishes to contribute to a true renewal of the European Union’ strategy of development.

 

Programme :

MINUTES OF THE CONFERENCE

CORPORATE RESPOSIBILITY IN EUROPE:

SOCIAL DIALOGUE FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

A social dialogue on industrial changes started within the European Union already a few years ago. Confrontation Europe has contributed to reflection on this not completely consensual subject by organizing a European symposium on 22-23 November 2007 at the European Economic and Social Committee.

An original debate between Marcel Grignard of CES and Roberto Suarez of Business Europe, chaired by Claude Fischer, secretary general of Confrontations closed in on new challenges which will have to take over a European social dialogue in the context of the crisis of a social model and to reinvent. For Marcel Grignard : « We have to invent a new form of a European social dialogue, to question our place within collective negotiation and on capacity of the society to restore common sense and to live together. »

We witnessed a fruitful exchange of comments between 250 players from numerous countries in Europe with members of institutions (GD of Social Affairs at the Commission), big European companies (EADS, Rhodia, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Véolia, Volkswagen, SAFRAN, EDF…), social partners (Business Europe, CES, NSZZ, OPZZ, Solidarnosc…), scholars and researchers (Freie Universität, Bruegel…). We thank our Polish friends who, with their presence, brought different experiences to our three round tables.

The first round table entitled « More and better information on costs and advantages of Corporate Social Responsibility », chaired by Viviane de Beaufort, professor at ESSEC, helped us to define CSR, stakes and challenges that it raises in the context of changes and to question ourselves on relevance of a normative approach for creation of a framework or how to incite different players to act in a socially responsible manner.

The second round table debate on “new industrial policies” chaired by Joost van Iersel president of the Consultative Commission for Industrial Changes was difficult to establish… We have to say that the idea of an industry and even a company is still very “national”.

The third round table was entitled “re-examining the problem of employees’ shareholding” chaired by Nicolas Véron, development director of Bruegel inflamed the participants. This round table was very educational and thorough on investment funds, employees’ saving funds, regulations, notably LBO.

In his conclusions, Philippe Herzog qualified CSR as a new method of management and company governance which, according to him, participates in “development of social Europe”: there is no longer an opposition between CSR and regulations but a complementarity; from now on we have to deal with questions of connection between the two concepts. He proposed to analyse diverse forms of incitation towards Corporate Responsibilities in Europe through public markets (bonuses) and insurances. The question of costs, their distribution and evaluation is also open, even if the symposium allowed us to discover some interesting ideas, for example on analytical accountancy.

For the President of Confrontations Europe, the link between industrial policy and Corporate Responsibilities in Europe is still to be found. But it is a key question for the coming decades as it determines specialization and employment. Industrial policy is still an « itchy subject » where it is difficult to share the same concerns. Every State defends its specialization but for Philippe Herzog it is necessary to develop important European projects of common interest (see Galileo). The question of projects is indeed fundamental: it recommends creation of investment funds dedicated to development of European industry and incites social partners and territorial players to make a link between industrial policy, economy and social affairs.

Social and industrial concerns confront us with financial issues. For Philippe Herzog the challenge is the “definition of a European company within international context and world competition”. For him a European company has to be a quality company capable of defending itself outside Europe.

After having got into the core of the problem, that he calls « a new means of management » and a « new form of socialization between individuals and markets », he concludes with his opinion on responsibility of social partners in training and education of employees in the area of a new « colossal » issue which is the finance (savings funds, direct profit sharing, ESOP).

The debates to be continued… that Confrontations Europe would like to conduct with its friends and partners.