SOCIAL PARTNERS : AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY LAUNCHES SOCIAL DIALOGUE.

• Position: Brief article

The social partners of the agro-food industry have decided to launch a sectoral social dialogue based on the recommendation adopted, in 2009, by the EU's high-level group on the competitiveness of the agro-food industry. At their first plenary meeting, on 23 January, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and FoodDrinkEurope signed a agreement to establish a committee for sectoral social dialogue. Michael Andritzky, from the German agro-food industry, will chair the committee.

"The launch of a social dialogue in the EU food and drink industry is an even greater accomplishment as this was the last large industrial sector of the European Union where there was no formal cooperation between European social partners," said Harald Wiedenhofer, general secretary of EFFAT. "With today's signature, EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope fill...