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Representativeness

Representativeness is the term used by the European Commission in determining the legitimate participants in social dialogue, provided for under Articles 154/155 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). To qualify, organisations must relate to specific sectors or categories and be organised at the European level, have member organisations that are recognised and an integral part of a Member State’s social partnership structure with the capacity to negotiate agreements, and have adequate structures to ensure effective participation in consultation processes.

Topic

Recent updates

Key messages

  • Representativeness has various meanings across the EU Member States and Norway. In practice, few national systems correspond to an unalloyed form of either mutual recognition or legal conformity. Member States employ a combination of these principles, applying a mix of both formal and informal criteria.
  • Certain drivers have the potential to contribute in different ways to representativeness of social partners: electoral success, organisational strength in terms of the scope of membership, and the capacity to negotiate. 
  • Thresholds, where they exist, are less common for employers than for trade unions. Employer thresholds are either a requirement for the extension of collective agreements or a criterion permitting access to tripartite bodies. 
  • Eurofound analysis argues that four models of representativeness coexist: social partner self-regulation; mixed social partner and state regulation; state regulation membership strength; and state regulation electoral strength. 
  • Organisations must meet certain criteria to be consulted by the Commission. For instance, they must be: organised horizontally or sectorally at European level; composed of organisations that are themselves regarded at their respective national levels as representative of the interests they defend; represented in all Member States of the European Community and, possibly, of the European Economic Area, or have participated in the ‘Val Duchesse’ social dialogue; composed of organisations representing employers or workers, membership of which is voluntary at both national and European level.

Eurofound research

Eurofound carries out studies on the representativeness of European sectoral social partner organisations, in line with the request it received from the Commission in 2006. 

These representativeness studies are carried out across multiple sectors and are designed to provide the basic information needed for the setting up and functioning of the European sectoral social dialogue committees. The research aims to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in each sector in the field of industrial relations in the EU Member States. 

A decade on from first carrying out these studies, Eurofound analysed the European concept of representativeness, reviewing key elements such as electoral success, organisational strength in terms of membership, and the capacity to negotiate. The analysis can contribute to the discussion on whether elements of Eurofound’s methodology in its representativeness studies need to be adjusted.

Key outputs

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This report analyses and compares the industrial relations landscape in several sectors and activities that form a public service cluster across the 27 EU Member States and the UK –...

9 December 2021
Publication
Research report
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European sectoral social dialogue plays an important role in promoting dialogue between the social partners in industrial sectors at European level. There are currently 43 European sectoral social dialogue committees...

6 December 2019
Publication
Research report

EU context

At EU level, the European Commission first delineated the concept of representativeness in 1993, defining it more clearly in 1998 in its Decision 98/500/EC on the establishment of Sectoral Dialogue Committees. Representativeness forms the basis for allowing European social partner organisations to be included in the list of organisations to be consulted by the Commission as set out in Article 154 of TFEU, and for providing legally binding implementation of their agreements as laid down in Article 155 of TFEU. Representativeness legitimises their role and effective participation in European sectoral social dialogue committees. It is also about having the capacity to negotiate, which is crucial in negotiations leading to agreements implemented by Council Decision. 

 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Peter Kerckhofs is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and is responsible for representativeness studies. His work involves developing in-depth...

Senior research manager,
Working life research unit
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Victoria Cojocariu is a research support officer for the representativeness studies in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is responsible for the management of the research...

Research support officer,
Working life research unit
Publications results (90)

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the road transport sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

05 December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the professional postal and courier activities sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their

29 November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the furniture sector.

08 December 2023

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the woodworking sector.

21 November 2023

This study provides information to allow for an assessment of the representativeness of the national and supranational social partners at cross-industry level in the EU.

09 November 2023

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the professional football sector.

26 October 2023

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the civil aviation sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

20 December 2022

This document examines the process of assessing the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the civil aviation sector. It summarises the findings from a comprehensive study on representativeness in this sector. The study identifies ETF, ECA an

20 December 2022

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the textile and clothing sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective

20 December 2022

This document examines the process of assessing the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the textile and clothing sector. It summarises the findings from a comprehensive study on representativeness in this sector. The study identifies Indus

20 December 2022

Online resources results (22)

Italy: Increasing fragmentation in collective bargaining at sectoral level

The increasing fragmentation of sectoral agreements in Italy is highlighted in a report, released in November 2017, by the tripartite National Economic and Labour Council. It adds that decentralised bargaining increasingly deals with performance-related pay and welfare benefits. Although this

Bulgaria: Latest working life developments – Q4 2017

Increases in the minimum retirement pension and minimum wage, protests by police at border checkpoints, and a Bulgarian elected Vice-President of the largest European trade union organisation, are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in

Germany: Collective bargaining law declared largely constitutional

Following a court challenge by several unions, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the Collective Bargaining Unity Act is ‘by and large’ constitutional, though it did not include sufficient safeguards to protect the rights of certain occupational groups or sectors. The court called for the

France: Latest working life developments – Q2 2017

Significant and swift labour market reform, major changes in the industrial relations landscape and the high number of workers exposed to carcinogens are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in France in the second

France: New assessment of the representativeness of the social partners

The results have been announced of the elections to determine the representativeness of unions, with the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) ousting the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) from the top position for the first time. The Movement of French Enterprises (Medef) has been

Malta: Law amended in attempt to stop trade union disputes over recognition

Amendments have been made to Malta’s Employment and Industrial Relations Act to try to stop unions getting involved in recognition disputes. There have been many of these disputes, generally just before the expiry of a collective agreement. The amendments provide a clearer definition of trade union

Italy: New industrial relations rules for SMEs in manufacturing and services

In November 2016, a new agreement reformed rules for industrial relations covering SMEs in the industry and service sectors, fine-tuning provisions on decentralised bargaining and paritarian institutions. It also introduces a system to assess unions’ representativeness.

Bulgaria: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

Government measures to support employment, the representativeness of the social partner organisations, and the social partners’ failure to agree on an increase in minimum insurance thresholds are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in

Bulgaria: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

​A new census of the membership of employer organisations and trade unions, slow progress on reforms and macroeconomic imbalances, and protests and strikes in the health and security sectors are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in

Romania: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

Increasing confrontation in industrial relations and government efforts to tackle undeclared work are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Romania in the first quarter of 2016.


Blogs results (1)
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On the eve of the 11th International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) European Congress, we look at the issue of representativeness in Europe, and how ensuring that workers and employers are fairly represented at EU-level is an important aspect of European democracy.

7 September 2016
Upcoming publications results (4)

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

July 2025

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the extractive industries sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective par

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the construction sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participatio

December 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in

December 2024

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