|  Home  |  What's new on this site  |  About us  |  About employee ownership  | Links  |  News  |  What we do  |
 
 
 

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC & SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Own-Initiative Opinion SOC 371 on Employee Financial Participation in Europe

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the body that gives representatives of Europe's social partners and civil society a formal platform to express their points of views on EU issues. It has a key role to play in the Union's decision-making process.
In February 2010, the EESC decided to draw up an own-initiative opinion on Employee Financial Participation (EFP). This own-initiative opinion, SOC 371, Rapporteur Alexander Graf von Schwerin (employees group) and Co-rapporteure Madi Sharma (employers group), was adopted in the EESC's plenary session on October 21, 2010.
Therefore, the EESC calls for a new Council Recommendation (like 92/443/EEC of 27.7.1992) concerning the promotion of employee financial participation and proposals to deal with obstacles to cross-border plans.
Furthermore, SOC 371 calls on the European institutions and governments for a renewed initiative to support employee financial participation, and to promote the idea of a "European EFP Model" based on the "Building Block Approach". Considering large companies, each country should firstly made available "an optional simple, uniform incentive model, with the same tax arrangements and incentives throughout the EU".
On the other hand, the EESC Opinion adresses the issue of employee ownership in SMEs as a vehicle for business succession and stresses the importance of the ESOP model in this context. One of the focusses are SMEs since – citing from SOC 371 – "one of the flagships of the EU 2020 Strategy is to give a strong focus to the delivery of the Small Business Act, in particular with a view to improving the financial situations of SMEs. Here EFP can be one of the mechanisms implemented to support this goal and thus enhance the competitiveness of European SMEs".
Overall, SOC 371 asks for a designated budget line to support related activities by the EU budget.

SOC 371 opinion can be here downloaded in all EU languages:

   OPINION of the European Economic and Social Committee on Employee financial participation in Europe
   
Bulgarian version
   
STANOVISKO Evropského hospodárského a sociálního výboru k tématu Financní spoluúcast zamestnancu v Evrope
   
UDTALELSE Det Europćiske Řkonomiske og Sociale Udvalgs om Arbejdstagernes finansielle deltagelse inden for EU
   
STELLUNGNAHME des Europäischen Wirtschafts- und Sozialausschusses zum Finanzielle Mitarbeiterbeteiligung in Europa
   
Greek version
   
DICTAMEN del Comité Económico y Social Europeo sobre el tema "Participación financiera de los trabajadores en Europa"
   
ARVAMUS Euroopa Majandus- ja Sotsiaalkomitee teemal „Euroopa töötajate finantsosalus”
   
LAUSUNTO Euroopan talous- ja sosiaalikomitean aiheesta Työntekijöiden rahoitusosakkuus Euroopassa
   AVIS du Comité économique et social européen sur la "Participation financičre des travailleurs en Europe"
   
VÉLEMÉNYE Az Európai Gazdasági és Szociális Bizottság - A munkavállalók pénzügyi részvétele Európában
   PARERE del Comitato economico e sociale europeo sul tema Partecipazione finanziaria dei lavoratori in Europa
   NUOMONE Europos ekonomikos ir socialiniu reikalu komiteto - del Darbuotoju finansinio dalyvavimo Europoje
   ATZINUMS Eiropas Ekonomikas un socialo lietu komitejas - par tematu “Darba nemeju finansiala lidzdaliba Eiropa”
   OPINJONI tal-Kumitat Ekonomiku u Socjali Ewropew dwar il-Partecipazzjoni Finanzjarja tal-Impjegati fl-Ewropa
   ADVIES van het Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité over Financiële participatie van werknemers in Europa
   OPINIA Europejskiego Komitetu Ekonomiczno-Spolecznego w sprawie partycypacji finansowej pracowników w Europie
   PARECER do Comité Económico e Social Europeu sobre Participaçăo financeira dos trabalhadores na Europa
   AVIZUL Comitetului Economic si Social European privind participarea financiara a lucratorilor din Europa
   STANOVISKO Európskeho hospodárskeho a sociálneho výboru na tému „Financná úcast zamestnancov v Európe“
   MNENJE Evropskega ekonomsko-socialnega odbora o financni participaciji delavcev v Evropi
  YTTRANDE frĺn Europeiska ekonomiska och sociala kommittén om "Arbetstagarnas ekonomiska delaktighet inom EU"

 

All documents are also available on EESC website on
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/sections/soc/employment_working_conditions.htm

 

 


 

 

For information and contact
EFES - EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP
FEAS - FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DE L'ACTIONNARIAT SALARIE
Avenue Voltaire 135, B-1030 Brussels
Tel/fax: +32 (0)2 242 64 30
E-mail: efes@efesonline.org
Web site: www.efesonline.org
EFES' objective is to act as the umbrella organization of employee owners, companies and all persons, trade unions, experts, researchers, institutions looking to promote employee ownership and participation in Europe.