{"id":432777,"date":"2025-07-17T18:13:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T16:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2025\/07\/17\/intervista-oliver-ropke-cese-dialogo-sociale-sia-condizione-necessaria-per-lallargamento\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T19:46:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T17:46:51","slug":"interview-oliver-ropke-eesc-social-dialogue-a-necessary-condition-for-enlargement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2025\/07\/17\/interview-oliver-ropke-eesc-social-dialogue-a-necessary-condition-for-enlargement\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW \/ Oliver R\u00f6pke (EESC): ‘Social dialogue a necessary condition for enlargement’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels – At a time when the <\/span>enlargement of the European Union <\/strong><\/font>is being discussed extensively, it is essential to prioritise<\/span> civil society and social partners<\/strong><\/font>,<\/span> and that effective structures<\/strong> and adequate financial resources<\/strong> support candidate countries in their path towards accession to the EU<\/span>. This is what was explained to Eunews<\/em> by Austrian trade unionist Oliver R\u00f6pke<\/strong>, president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)<\/strong>, in an interview on the sidelines of the plenary session that took place between yesterday and today (16-17 July) in Brussels. <\/font><\/p>\n

The Second High-Level Forum on Enlargement<\/strong> was held this morning (the first edition was in<\/font> October<\/a>, as Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong>‘s first term at the helm of the EU’s executive was drawing to a close), and focused on the importance of institutionalising a structured debate between social partners<\/strong> and creating a solid civic space<\/strong> in view of the potential expansion of the European club<\/strong> by the end of the decade. This time around, the guests of honour were the Ministers for European Affairs of Spain (Fernando Sampedro<\/strong>), Montenegro (Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107<\/strong>), and North Macedonia (Orhan Murtezani<\/strong>). <\/font><\/p>\n

Social Dialogue and Enlargement<\/font><\/h3>\n

“A strong civil and social dialogue is the DNA of the Committee<\/strong>, so it is our core demand<\/strong> also when talking about enlargement,” R\u00f6pke explains. For him, enlargement is an “open process,” representing “not only a geopolitical imperative<\/strong> but also a democratic promise<\/strong>, a moral and social commitment<\/strong>.“<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n


\nIndeed, the <\/font>EESC President’s focus on civil society<\/font> is nothing new<\/a>, nor is his attention to the gradual integration of candidate countries<\/strong>\u2014Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine\u2014<\/font><\/span>into the EU. An approach that envisages the extension to said states of certain EU policies<\/strong> (such as roaming or<\/font> <\/i>the SEPA transfer area)<\/font> <\/i>and the introduction of specific cooperation instruments<\/strong> (<\/font><\/i>see<\/font><\/i> the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans) even before<\/strong><\/font> their formal entry<\/strong> into the club.<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/a>
The President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Oliver R\u00f6pke (photo: EESC)<\/span>
<\/figcaption><\/i><\/figure>\n


\n<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In September 2023, only a few months into being elected chairman of the advisory body, R\u00f6pke
\nlaunched the ECM Initiative <\/strong>(acronym for Enlargement countries members<\/strong>) to involve representatives of the social partners<\/strong> (i.e. workers and employers) and civil society<\/strong> from candidate countries in the works of the Committee. The basic idea is that “integration must involve not only political leaders<\/strong> but also those who ultimately bear the brunt of the reforms<\/strong>, i.e. civil society, workers, young people.”<\/font><\/p>\n

R\u00f6pke calls the initiative ‘a success’ and assures that it will be maintained also<\/strong> in the next EESC term, starting next October. However, means must not be confused with the ends<\/strong>, so as not to create a de facto<\/em> enlargement surrogate<\/strong>: “The ECM is a tool that must serve to facilitate accession to the Union<\/strong>,” he warns, “but it cannot end up substituting for it<\/strong>,” risking to leave candidate countries in limbo.<\/font><\/p>\n

However, he notes, dialogue between sectors of society “is not a luxury but a structural necessity to build resilient democracies<\/strong> before these states join the EU.” To such an extent that the Committee has requested the EU executive to formally include social dialogue as a key conditionality mechanism<\/strong> in the accession negotiations. <\/font><\/p>\n

How does one concretely promote such developments? “Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all model<\/strong>, but we believe that institutionalising social dialogue and giving it a clear framework<\/strong>, for instance with a view to strengthening collective bargaining, is crucial,” R\u00f6pke argues. For example, he tells us not without a hint of pride, “some candidate countries want to update their dialogue structures to build something similar to the EESC<\/strong>.<\/font>“<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"plenary<\/a>
The 598th plenary of the European Economic and Social Committee, 17 July 2025 (photo: EESC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Committee also proposes the introduction of ‘national monitoring committees<\/strong>‘ in candidate countries, composed of social partners and civil society, to oversee not only pre-accession efforts and reforms<\/strong> but also the implementation of the various growth plans<\/strong>.<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/p>\n

Progress and setback<\/font><\/h3>\n

Overall, the EESC president views ongoing developments in a positive light. “We see progress in several countries<\/strong>,” he says, although “much work remains to be done<\/strong>.” Indeed, in some cases, the standards are even higher than in EU member states<\/strong>. If we <\/font>take<\/font> press freedom<\/a><\/strong>, for example, we will see that North Macedonia and Montenegro fare better than Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, and Romania<\/font><\/span>. <\/font>Re<\/span>garding the <\/span>reform of the judiciary<\/strong>, countries like Albania are making “<\/span>gigantic strides<\/strong>,” although problems persist in other areas,<\/span><\/span><\/font> such as <\/span>transparency and anti-corruption<\/strong><\/font>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, progress is not being made everywhere. In some countries, R\u00f6pke acknowledges, “the reforms are weak and proceeding slowly<\/strong>, while in others there has even been backlash<\/strong>.” <\/font>This is the case in <\/span>Georgia<\/strong><\/font>, where<\/span> the authoritarian, pro-Russian government has been brutally suppressing democratic dissent<\/strong> for several months now<\/a>, in<\/span>\u200b<\/font> <\/span>Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107<\/strong>‘s Serbia<\/span><\/font> and in<\/span>\u200b<\/font> <\/span>Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan<\/strong>‘s Turkey<\/span><\/font>, two instances where civic space keeps <\/strong><\/span>shrinking<\/strong><\/font>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"proteste<\/a>
Protesters demonstrate against the Georgian government in Tbilisi (photo: Sebastien Canaud\/Afp)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even in Ukraine<\/strong>\u2014towards which the EESC president keenly reiterates the Committee’s “full support”<\/strong>\u2014there are problems: “Despite the difficult circumstances Kyiv must proceed on the path of reform<\/strong>,” he reflects, “yet we have witnessed worrying<\/strong> developments<\/strong> such as the incarceration of several trade union leaders<\/strong> in recent months.”<\/font><\/p>\n

The question of funding<\/font><\/h3>\n

It is clear that enlargement has soared in Brussels’ agenda in recent years. “I have full confidence<\/strong> in President von der Leyen and Commissioner Marta Kos<\/strong> (the commissioner for Enlargement, ed<\/i>) to push forward a merit-based enlargement process<\/strong> and give it new life,” R\u00f6pke tells Eunews<\/i>, saying he is glad that this path “was accelerated for some countries<\/strong>“, especially Albania, Montenegro, and Ukraine, and hoping that “if they comply with their requirements they could close negotiations by 2028<\/strong>.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Then of course, it is equally clear that for enlargement to be successful adequate financial resources are need<\/strong>, as well as real political will in the Twenty-Seven<\/strong>. The EESC will soon adopt its position on the proposal for a new EU budget<\/strong> (the<\/font> 2028\u20132034 MFF<\/a>) put forward by von der Leyen yesterday and<\/font> already rejected by the European Parliament<\/a>, the regional authorities and some of the national governments.<\/font><\/p>\n

Overall, R\u00f6pke sees the proposed plan as “a good opportunity to incorporate pre-accession funding<\/strong> into the EU budget in a more strategic way,” including not only technical assistance but also a more organic support for reforms<\/strong> in candidate countries. He reiterates a basic concept: “There can be no credible enlargement policy without sustainable and targeted financial support<\/strong>.”<\/font><\/p>\n

\"Ursula<\/a>
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (photo: Bendo\/European Commission)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Surely, he adds, “we call for protecting and expanding the allocations already existing<\/strong> for pre-accession reforms, support for civil society, and cross-border cooperation in the next MFF.” <\/font><\/p>\n

It would seem that the Global Europe<\/strong> fund<\/strong> wanted by the Berlaymont is going in this direction. <\/font>This facility has<\/span> a total budget<\/a> <\/span>of \u20ac200 billion, of which <\/span>42.6 billion earmarked specifically for enlargement<\/strong><\/font> (an increase of 37 per cent compared to the current budget of 31 billion).<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, R\u00f6pke’s assessment is positive<\/strong>: “I am pleased that an enhanced enlargement budget<\/strong> has been announced and, in general, I am satisfied with the toolkit of Global Europe,” he says. And reiterates that, as von der Leyen put it, enlargement “is not just a political objective but a strategic investment in the stability and prosperity of the whole continent<\/strong>.”<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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