Category: Archive – 2015

A roundtable conference was held by the Commissioner for Simplification and Reduction of BureaucracyHon. Anthony Agius Decelis, and the Minister of Tourism Hon. Edward Zammit Lewis. During this discussion the Commissioner for Simplification and Reduction of Bureaucracy stressed the importance of simplifying bureaucracy in every sector and especially in 

tourism industry as it is a strong pillar in the Maltese economy. Mr Agius Decelis believes that through simplification, entities will be able to give better services which will not only improve the efficiency of the entity but alsoenhance the experience of the recipient.

Focusing on the tourism industry, Minister Zammit Lewis emphasised that through the new policy limiting the adjustment on the height of building, 3 to 5 star hotels that are situated in touristic zones will be permitted to build two additional floors to their establishment. This policy has been praised by hotel establishments which will be allowed to continue to invest in their premises. The Ministry has also founded the Foundation for Tourism Zones Developments. Through this foundation the Ministry aims to maintain and improve the environment of touristic zones whilst also preserving the efficiency of every public zone.

GRTU Deputy President Philip Fenech was pleased with the initiative however urged that the Foundation for Tourism Zones Development should have a round-the-clock rapid intervention phone number during the touristic peak season. This will allow the foundation to be contacted immediately and fast-track any work that needs to be carried out.  Mr Fenech also mentioned that due to tourism figures being on the increase it is becoming more and more difficult to find staff to service the needs of the industry. With a growing demand for Maltese workers in the industry and processes to employ foreign workers having become rather slow and cumbersome, it is of essence that all efforts are made by the all quarters in order to promote tourism and hospitality as a sector. The image of the industry has to be lifted in such a way that it is seen to offer a respectable option for a career in order to attract a new generation of students who perceive this industry as a career path rather than a mere seasonal job.

 

An MCESD meeting held last Monday 1^stJune discussing the American University of Malta project was addressed by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Economy Minister Dr Chris Cardona and Environment Minister Leo Brincat.

Minister Bartolo introduced the project as reflecting government’s economic vision to strengthen the economy and internationalise the higher education sector. Having 17% of all students based in Malta following private tuition and another unaccounted number of Maltese students following studies overseas, shows that there is potential in this market both for Maltese as well as to attract more foreign students to our islands. Minister Bartolo reacted to the three main concerns raised from an education point of view, namely that due to this project: education quality standards are going to be lowered to accommodate the investors; there is not going to be an element of research as is required of an university; and that the recent changes in the legislation where made to allow government to grant education licenses directly without the necessary requirements and processes. Minister Bartolo insisted that there is in fact going to be a strong element of research at the AUOM and that the amendments presented though a recent legal notice give further powers to the National   —>> P. 3 << P . 1—Commission for Further and Higher Education and not the government. He explained that the AUOM will be focusing on Engineering, Communications, IT and Medical Science.

Economy Minister Chris Cardona emphasised that studies show that the average income of families in the South Region of Malta is 11% lower when compared to other regions. It is expected that this project builds on the government’s economic vision and has a substantial income on Malta, particularly the South with an estimated EUR 115 million investment across three years bringing to Malta around 4000 foreign students raising the profile of our higher education provision. These students are expected to pay around EUR 12.5 million in tuition fees and spend EUR 1.8 million on property rental. Studies based on the UK show that foreign student influx generates further tourism income brought by family visits whilst the students are expected to spend around EUR 15,000 per year. The same studies show that every EUR 1.00 spent on tertiary education repays the economy with EUR 2.50.

Minister Leo Brincat focused on the broadening of the notion of sustainable development which is based on economic, social, environmental and even cultural developments and not tied on environment on its own without considering the others, or vice versa.

GRTU believes that any for of foreign investment should be welcomed and supported as this brings in economic benefits to all and therefore strongly welcomes such as project which is expected to generate business. On the other hand GRTU sees that such development (and any other) on ODZ should not be the solution. Government has ample capacity to find another solution which does not affect ODZ.

 

 

L-Onorevoli Dalli rreferiet ghal dan l-premju bhala pozittiv fejn is-sidien tal-hwienet jgharfu aktar il-bzonnijiet tal-konsumatur. Il-bejgħ onlineillum huwa wiehed mill-problemi li qeghdin jiffaccjaw is-sidien tan-negozzju. L-Onorevoli Dalli hegget lis-sidien sabiex jegħlbu din l-isfida permezz ta’ esperjenza aktar attraenti fejn l-konsumatur jkollu aktar xelta, jinvestu u jadattaw għall-bejgħ onlajn ukoll.

Dan l-premju ser ikun qed joħloq kompetizzjoni bejn il-ħwienet aktar minn qatt qabel għaliex permezz ta’ dan is-servizz ser tkun qed tiġi mtejba l-esperjenza tax-xiri mill-ħwienet u l-esperjenza ta’ wara l-bejgħ. Is-Marcel Pizzuto, Chairman, MCCAA filwaqt li qabel mall-Onorevoli Dalli qal li dan l-premju ser ikun qed jippremja lill-ħwienet li jħabirku biex jagħtu servizz dejjem aħjar lill-konsumatur.

Is-Sinjura Joyce Borg, Direttur Generali, MCCAA qalet li l-Awtorità tal-Konsumatur hija kommessa biex tinforma u tgħin kemm lill-kummerċjant kif ukoll lill-konsumatur. Hija qalet li flimkien mall-GRTU l-assoccjazzjoni li tirraprezentha lis-sidien tal-hwienet  ilha ghal dawn l-ahhar snin tahdem sabiex tilhaq l-ahjar kompromess bejn is-sidien u l-konsumatur. Is-Sinjura Borg stqarret li din il-kampanja ser tkun qed tisħaq biex jitjieb aktar  l-customer carepermezz ta’ djalogu u japplika kemm għal min ibigħ prodott kif ukoll ghal dak li jaghti servizz.

Il-Premju għal Servizz bi Tbissimajirrikonoxxi lil dawk il-ħwienet li qed joffru servizz tajjeb ħafna lill-klijenti tagħhom u qed iħabirku biex titjieb ir-relazzjoni bejn il-konsumatur u l-kummerċjant. Fl-istess waqt dan il-Premju jinkoraġġixxi u jippromwovi prattiċi ta’ negozju li huma ta’ benefiċċju għall-konsumaturi

In-negozju li japplika ma jridx ikun qed jiġi investigat, jew ġie investigat minn xi Awtorità regolatorja u nstab ħati ta’ ksur ta’ liġi għal perjodu ta’ erba’ snin qabel ma japplika. L-ebda awtorità regolatorja, jew għaqda tal-konsumaturi, ma tkun ħarġet xi public warning statementfil-konfronti tan-negozju li qed japplika għal perjodu ta’ sentejn qabel ma tkun saret l-applikazzjoni

 

Regolamenti biex wieħed japplika għal dan il-Premju

Dawk li japplikaw għal dan il-Premju jridu jkunu qegħdin josservaw il-kodiċi ta’ kondotta marbut ma’ dan il-Premju. Dan il-kodiċi jirrappreżenta ċ-ċiklu tal-proċess tax-xiri kollu.

 

Kodiċi ta’ kondotta:

a. L-applikanti għandhom relazzjoni tajba mal-klijenti

b. Josservaw ir-regolamenti kollha applikabbli.

c. Jaċċertaw li l-istabbiliment huwa aċċessibbli u sigur.

d. Jirreklamaw/jipprovdu informazzjoni ċara u korretta inkluż il-prezz li ma tqarraqx bil-konsumaturi.

e. Jifhmu tajjeb lill-klijenti u jagħtuhom pariri skont il-ħtiġijiet tagħhom.

f. Jindikaw u jikkwotaw il-prezz finali li se jħallsu l-konsumaturi, kemm fl-istabbiliment kif ukoll waqt li qed jinnegozjaw kuntratt mal-konsumaturi. Il-prezz għandu jinkludi wkoll kull taxxa u spejjeż oħra u għandhom jagħtu irċevuta.

g. Fil-każ ta’ lmenti mill-konsumaturi, l-kummerċjanti jirrispondu b’mod pożittiv u jsolvu l-problema fi żmien reġjonevoli.

h. Jevitaw fejn ikun possibbli li l-ilmenti ma jaslux għand it-Tribunal Għal Talbiet tal-Konsumaturi billi jagħżlu li jsibu soluzzjoni xierqa permezz talmedjazzjoni.

i.   Jipprovdu servizz ta’ wara x-xiri adegwat.

j. Meta tingħata garanzija kummerċjali, ma taffettwax iddrittijiet legali tal-konsumatur.

 

Kif għandha ssir l-applikazzjoni

Biex wieħed jidħol għal dan il-premju jrid jimla l-applikazzjoni li trid tinġabar bejn il-21 ta’ Mejju u 5 ta’ Ġunju 2015 mill-Uffiċċju tal-Awtorità Maltija għall-Kompetizzjoni u Affarijiet tal-Konsumatur jew titniżżel minn fuq il-websajt tal-Awtorità: www.mccaa.org.mt.

 

Rebbieħa

Ir-rebbieħa jitħabbru nhar il-Ġimgħa, 18 ta’ Settembru 2015 f’ċerimonja li ssir biex jitqassmu l-premjijiet.

Se jkun hemm tliet rebbieħa:  L-ewwel premju: trofew biex jinżamm fil-ħanut għal sena u l-użu tal-logo tal-Premju u jingħata għarfien fuq il-media għall-ħanut rebbieħ kif ukoll trofew forma ta’ plakka biex jinżamm fil-ħanut. It-tieni premju u t-tielet premju: trofew u ċertifikat tal-premju mogħti.

Il-parteċipanti kollha se jingħataw taħriġ bla ħlas mill-Awtorità Maltija għall-Kompetizzjoni u Affarijiet tal-Konsumatur. Jingħata ċertifikat għal min jattendi dan it-tahrig b’seccess.

 

Aktar informazzjoni

Lil dawk in-negozji li japplikaw se ngħaddulhom numru ta’ kwestjonarji biex jitqassmu u jimtlew mill klijenti tagħhom. Dawk il-konsumaturi li jipparteċipaw u jagħtu d-dettalji tagħhom jidħlu biċ-ċans li jirbħu wieħed minn tliet premijijiet ta’ €250-il wieħed. Il-kwestjonarji mimlija għandhom jintbagħtu bil-posta jew jitwasslu personalment fl-indirizz t’hawn taħt jew fl-Uffiċċju tal-Konsumatur ta’ 47A Triq Nofsinhar il-Belt Valletta, jew l-Uffiċċju tal-Konsumatur, Pjazza San Franġisk ir-Rabat Għawdex sa mhux aktar tard minn nofsinhar tal-5 ta’ Lulju 2015.

Għal aktar informazzjoni dwar il–premju għal Servizz bi Tbissima, wieħed jista’ jikkuntattja lill-Awtorità Maltija għall-Kompetizzjoni u Affarijiet tal-Konsumatur billi jibgħat imejl fuq   jew iċempel fuq  2395 2000.

 

 

GRTU welcomes the new strategy on better regulation aimed at delivering better rules with better results. The Better Regulation Agenda was adopted by the European Commission on the 19th of May and it was both drafted and announced by First Vice President Timmermans.

GRTU believes this is an important step forward in improving regulation as a way of ensuring that the burdens on the economy are kept to the minimum, and the scope for business to create new jobs and growth broadened.

SMEs play the important role of fostering competitiveness, innovation, purchasing power and employment. This however can only be achieved if regulation strikes the right balance of effectiveness and avoids burdens for which consumers have to pay for out of their pockets, and from which business have fewer resources to create new jobs.

99% of businesses are SMEs, on whom regulation bears particularly heavily. GRTU has long campaigned for a high quality regulatory framework with evidence-based legislation and a rigorous application of the SME test. We are happy to see that the Commission will take a proactive approach to the needs of SMEs, and require timely consultation at each stage of proposing legislation, and explanation of how they have taken account of views expressed.

Regulation needs to be appropriate for all businesses, big and small.

The idea of inception impact assessment, allowing stakeholder input from the earliest stages of considering new legislation, the new consultative tool “Lighten the Load – Have Your Say” and the new REFIT stakeholder platform are particularly welcome in this respect.

A vital part of the package for business is the new push to eliminate member states’ gold-plating the implementation of EU legislation.

Gold-plating has a double effect on costs for business, and thus for consumers: it adds costs to compliance with those specific national rules, and by fragmenting the single market, creates additional inefficiencies which again, the consumer ends up paying for.

GRTU looks forward to see it fully implemented at national level and we augur that the Commission will use all instruments at its disposal, including national surveys and the European Semester, to address these obstacles to realising the potential of the single market to the full.

We hope that The European Parliament and Council will commit to pursuing better regulation and assessing the impact on the wider economy of the decisions they take. We therefore hope that they will embrace Vice-President Timmermans’ initiative of a new Inter-Institutional Agreement on better regulation.

 

The Parliament Economic and Financial Affairs Committee discussed the situation in Libya.

Mario Debono, GRTU Council member with years of experience in doing business in Libya, explained GRTU’s position on Libya to the Committee.

GRTU had members who were and still are heavily dependent on Libya business. In fact, many small businesses, even single member businesses, are now finding it difficult to survive.

GRTU’s members that have been actively involved in Libya are in retail, wholesale, services, remanufacturing, re-exports and IT. They have been hit hard because most of them depend on Libya for a large amount of their income, but also because they do not have the diversification and resilience of bigger companies. Mr Debono stated that GRTU would like to further engage with Malta Enterprise formally to continue assisting its members in this regard.

Mr Debono stated that GRTU has very good contacts in Libya, both in the east and in the west. Although the situation is dire and fluid, yet recent political developments and dialogue between the warring parties give rise to some hope for a settlement in the medium term.

Mr Debono also highlighted problems that businesses are facing, because many businesses are still supplying their clients with goods and services, albeit at a reduced rate. There are issues of security.

Maltese businessmen are still going to Libya on the daily flight, however there is a risk of kidnap for ransom in Tripoli, much less so in more orderly Misurata. Tobruk and Benghazi are unreachable unless with great difficulty.

Despite difficulties like exorbitant flight prices, the difficulty in changing Libyan currency to Euros for payments and repatriation, amongst many others, the legendary resilience and entrepreneurship of the Maltese businessman is still evident in companies and entities dealing with Libya. GRTU feels the time has come for these people to be given attention and relief, especially on tax and other payments.

There is also an issue with visas. There is great difficulty where Maltese business people request visas for their Libyan partners. Visas are being issued for health reasons, but nothing else. This is in great contrast to other EU countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and France that routinely issue Schengen visas to Libyans applying in Tunisia. It is obviously safer for Maltese businessmen to meet their business partners in Malta, but for some reason the Maltese Government is being reticent in the issue of visas

GRTU feels that Libyan partners should be issued a normal Schengen visa, not a special visa only valid for Malta. Yet any effort in this regard is a step in the right direction and GRTU will engage with the Ministry of the Interior on this issue. We cannot give the message that Libyans are second class people when we give them a visa. Other countries will get the business simply because they are treating them better.

Whilst GRTU appreciates the need to help its members diversify into other markets and not rely solely on Libya, which is currently a main focus of Malta Enterprise, we feel that things will get better in Libya.

This is our closest neighbour with historical and family ties going back centuries. It’s also a vast country with just 6 million people and vast resources, and not just oil.

GRTU feels that once things settle, the opportunities will come back, because even in these troubled times, people are still doing business. A presentation delivered by Malta Enterprise outlined 36 million in exports in the first quarter of 2015.

GRTU will continue its work with small businesses to help them overcome these troubled times in Libya.

 

GRTU Executive Elaine Zammit has attended an EU funding information session organised by Europe Direct Central region, one of the three Europe Direct Information Centres situated in Malta and Gozo. This event focused on various funding schemes that would assist in financing SME projects.

The funding programmes presented during the information session which targeted SMEs are listed below:

Interreg Med 2014-2020 programme

This programme will mainly focus on alliances that will create exchanges, increase communication and share knowledge and experiences between the projects.

This scheme centres on the development of a new and innovative public intervention to reach three successive phases which are:

• A phase of study and development of strategies and policies;
• A phase of testing, to validate the hypothesis developed;
• A phase of transferability and capitalisation of results at the transnational level.

The funding programme will have three different modules which are defined by:

• Module 1: Studying
• Module 2: Testing
• Module 3: Capitalising

A project can be composed by one or several modules depending on its strategy and main objectives, expected results, competences and experience of the partnership.

The projects must also fall under three priority axis. These include:

Priority Axis 1: Promoting Mediterranean innovation capacities to develop smart and sustainable growth.

Specific Objective 1

• To increase transnational activity of innovative clusters and network of key sectors of the MED area;
• Total amount for this call in S.O.1 is €24.3 M (ERDF).

Priority Axis 2: Fostering low-carbon strategies and energy efficiency in specific MED territories: cities, islands and remote areas.

Specific objective 2.1:

• To raise capacity for better management of energy in public buildings at transnational level.
• Total amount for this call (ERDF) €8.6M.

Specific objective 2.2:

• To increase the share of renewable local energy sources in energy mix strategies and plans in specific MED territories (islands and rural areas).
• Total amount for this call (ERDF) €8.6M

Specific objective 2.3:

• Increase capacity to use existing low carbon transport systems and multimodal connections among them.
• Total amount for this call (ERDF) €9.8M

Priority Axis 3:Protecting and promoting Mediterranean natural and cultural resources.

Specific objective 3.1:

• To enhance the development of a sustainable and responsible coastal and maritime tourism in the MED area.
• Total amount for this call is (ERDF) €13.7M

Specific objective 3.2:

• To obtain biodiversity and natural ecosystems through strengthening the management and networking of protected areas.
• Total amount for this call is (ERDF) €11.45M

The first call will be open on 17^thJune 2015 and the call envisaged to remain open for 4 months.

 

ENPI CBC MED Programme 2014-2020

This transnational cooperation programme aims to foster a fair, equitable and sustainable economic development; improve social and territorial development for cross-border integration; Valorise participating countries’ territories and value.

The overall objective of the programme is to:

• Promote economic and social development;                    
• Address common challenges in environment.

 

Thematic objective 1: Business and SMEs development

The main aim is to create economic opportunities and jobs to reduce high rates of unemployment through the following priorities:

• Supporting innovative start-ups;
• Euro-Mediterranean value chains;
• Diversification of sustainable tourism.

Thematic objective 2: Support to education, research, technological development and innovation

Innovation is essential for the competitiveness and productivity of Mediterranean economies and is to be enhanced via the following priorities:

• Technological transfer and commercialisation and research results;
• Supporting SMEs in accessing research and innovation through clustering.

Thematic objective 3: Promotion of social inclusion and fight against poverty

This priority will address:

• Providing young people with marketable skills;
• Supporting social and solidarity economic actors.

Thematic objective 4: Environment protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation

This theme seeks to achieve a more sustainable Mediterranean region by enhancing efficiency in waste, water and energy management, together with the conservation of coastal areas through these priorities:

• Efficient water and waste management;
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency
• Integrated Coastal Zone management.

Through this programme you will be able to partner up with not only entities from EU Member states but also from other countries such as:

First calls for project proposals will be launched in the early months of 2016.

  

Italia-Malta programme

The aim of this programme is geared towards strengthening cooperation between Malta and Sicily. The programme contains four priority axis:

Priority Axis 1:

• Strengthening the development of Research & Innovation with 30% of the programme budget amounting to circa €13M.

Priority Axis 2:

• Facilitating the creation of new businesses and SMEs;
• Facilitating the mobility of labour and the creation of new jobs.

Priority Axis 3:

• Protecting natural heritage, more specifically protecting the marine and terrestrial biodiversity;
• Developing technological systems aimed at mitigating anthropological and natural risks with a particular reference to marine disasters.

Priority Axis 4:

• Providing technical assistance for the management of the programme (these funds are available primarily for the Managing Authority and the FPD).

 

 

 

In a meeting hosted by MEUSAC, H.E. Artis Bertulis, Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to Malta, presented developments on the priorities of the Latvian Presidency with government stakeholders and social partners. The priorities of the Latvian Presidency ending on 30th June focus on:

Competitive Europe

• Reached an Agreement in the Council on the European Fund for Strategic 

  Investments

• Commenced the process for establishing an Energy Union
• An agreement has been achieved on the EU’s contribution to the new global climate agreement
• An agreement has been achieved on measures supporting a fully functional Single Market
• Concluded the first phase of the European Semester 

Digital Europe

• Achieved significant progress in legislation related to the digital sector
• Reduced mobile phone roaming fees
• Data protection partial agreement on new legal framework
• Network and Information Security Standards

Engage Europe

• Agreed on measures for strengthening EU internal security
• Highlighted external security-related European issues
• Held events in preparation for the Eastern Partnership Summit
• Decisions take on supporting Ukraine
• Advanced negotiations on the Transatlantic and Investment Partnership
• Contribution made to international negotiations on the new post-2015 sustainable development goals

During this stakeholders’ meeting, GRTU commented on how security and migration issues may have over-shadowed the priorities of the Presidency with both matters effecting Malta directly. Security in Eastern Europe effected European energy policy and even closer to home, the instability in Libya effecting Maltese businesses directly. Migration is indisputedly high on Malta’s agenda, especially with recent human tragedies happening in our waters.

GRTU highlighted the importance of developments in the energy sector which effect Malta’s businesses in terms of price stability and stress on Maltese businesses. In terms of initiatives on a digital front, GRTU outlined the importance on a national level. E-commerce and digital marketing are key upgrades which Maltese businesses, particularly in retail, need to take. The infrastructure is solid but its usage is still weak. Business models need to adapt faster to the phenomenon of online business since customers are going this way. GRTU also queried about developments on the Juncker Plan which has brought a new goal to the European Union and its economy, which however now needs to be translated into effective initiatives which are watered down to the benefit of our small and medium enterprises.

 

The Ministry for Social Dialogue gave a presentation on the proposed method of implementation of the Maternity Leave Trust Fund as had been put forward in the Budget 2015 Speech. The aim is to make engagement in the private sector more gender neutral through this fund which is intended to pay the 14 weeks paid maternity leave.

This fund shall be financed through contribution by private companies. The 

premium contribution has been calculated at 0.3% of the basic wage of all employees to be collected to finance the provision of maternity leave in the private sector. The computation of the 0.3% has been based on the number of females engaged in employment, the annual basic wage, probability of maternity, probability of females who stop working before/during/after pregnancy and the number of female employees working in public sector. The revenue has been based on the total employers’ contribution with maternity leave as a percentage of wage bill.

The Trust Fund should be administered through the setting up of a Board of Trustees and overseen by the social partners. The Board of Trustees is envisaged to have a strong representation of employers’ organisations represented on MCESD, with the chairman being proposed to be an employers’ representative.

The proposal included that the system will be based on 3-month, 6-month or 12-month reimbursement system (which is yet to be established) to the employer having paid out the maternity leave following a request for refund. The Trust Fund will be effective upon an issue of the relevant Legal Notice which is envisaged for 2015. The contribution rate may be revised after two to three years.

During the meeting, GRTU described the proposal as positive in principle since it will further decrease negative preconceptions on women’s employment and career prospects. There are other concerns for employers such as the need for replacing the skills during maternity leave, but this alleviates the financial burden.

GRTU outlined that since the collection of the fund is envisaged to be linked to the collection of employers’ National Insurance Contributions, this should not develop into a precursor for future increases of imbalance on NI contributions against the employer. GRTU also outlined the fact that as a by-product of this fund, employers in female-dominated sectors shall benefit at the expense of employers in male-dominated sectors. It also has to be assured that the system does not incur additional unneccessary burdens on employers to implement this, such as expenses for payroll software.

GRTU also inquired whether the public sector will be involved in the fund since this may lead to situations where the bill for the private sector will be proportionally less and private employers might end up making up for the public sector. GRTU was assured that the public sector will not be included in this fund and will continue to pay its employees on maternity leave directly.

GRTU emphasized that the reimbursement system will create unneccessary cashflow concerns on employers which can easily be avoided if the scope of this system is to be reaped – otherwise employers will still see a financial burden of having women out on maternity leave, until the reimbursement is paid. This would also result in employers having to go through elaborate procedures and administrative processes. Therefore GRTU shall continue stressing that any form of repayment or reimbursement should be passed on to employers with immediate effect upon payment to the mother in question.

 

EuroCommerce held its Social Affairs Committee Meeting and a Social Dialogue Meeting for the Commerce Sector bringing together representatives of both employers and workers on the 12^thand 13^thMay, in Brussels.

EuroCommerce gave details about a number of projects it will be participating in the fields of social dialogue, retail and commerce. One of the projects is looking into healthy and safety at the place of work focusing on ergonomics, stress at work and psychosocial risks. The project will also produce a country fiche with elaboration on national case studies. Another project is focused on holding a detailed fact-based study on the current 

scenario on the commerce sector covering retail, wholesale, international trade and e-commerce. The project idea is to produce a study which looks at the challenges in the EU commerce labour market taking into account the fast evolution in the sector to be able to understand them and pre-empt solutions.

UNIEuropa and EuroCommerce jointly approved a common document pledging quality apprenticeships showing the commitment of both employers’ and workers’ representatives at European level to value vocational work-based learning but which is conducted in the framework of quality-assured practices to maximise benefits to both learners and employers.

The European Commission presented its Flagship Initiative for the Responsible Management of the Supply Chain in the Garment Sector. This issue touches upon several aspects of sustainable development ranging from safety at work, child labour, use of chemicals, collective rights, and enforcement of national legislation, human rights and other international standards. The proposed initiative is aimed at increasing awareness and support for the need to foster responsible management of the entire supply chain whilst also improving communication on relevant EU actions on strengthening sustainable development hand-in-hand with better coordination between EU institutions and processes. Employers’ representatives showed their support to this initiative whilst raised concerns such as the need for concerted efforts so that the onus of responsibility on supply chain management on small businesses which deal with wide ranges of suppliers may be shifted towards collaborative efforts that may make this more possible to deal with. Direct online commerce was also raised as an issue which is difficult to check and trace.

Moreover, during these meetings, a draft joint letter of European social partners to the European Commission expressing concern on social dialogue and the role of social partners. Whilst the Commission continues to state its commitment towards the strengthening social dialogue, seeking to introduce impact assessment and public stakeholder consultation procedures for European social partner agreements under Article 155 of the EU treaty, may result in effectively weakening European social dialogue.