EFFAT’s project “Strengthening Social Dialogue in the Agri-Food Sector in South-Eastern and Central-Eastern Europe” aimed to strengthen social dialogue and collective bargaining across the EU agri-food sector, with a particular focus on South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and Central-Eastern Europe (CEE).
Social dialogue is a cornerstone of the European Social Model. By bringing together trade unions and employers’ organisations, it helps develop balanced solutions on wages, working conditions, skills, occupational health and safety, and other issues affecting workers and businesses. Recent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising living costs, and economic uncertainty, have further highlighted the importance of strong social dialogue structures in supporting fair and resilient labour markets.
Despite its recognised benefits, social dialogue remains unevenly developed across Europe. In many SEE and CEE countries, trade unions and employers’ organisations face capacity constraints, while collective bargaining coverage remains comparatively low. These challenges can limit the ability of social partners to effectively represent workers and employers, participate in national and European sectoral social dialogue, and contribute to shaping labour market policies and sectoral developments.
The adoption of the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages created new opportunities to strengthen collective bargaining and promote fair wages across the European Union. At the same time, it underscored the importance of ensuring that social partners have the organisational, administrative, and technical capacity required to play an active role in its implementation and to expand collective bargaining coverage.
Against this background, the project sought to strengthen the capacity and representativeness of social partners in the agri-food sector, promote the exchange of knowledge and good practices, identify barriers to effective social dialogue, and develop practical recommendations to support stronger collective bargaining and better working conditions throughout the region.
Project Objectives
The project pursued three key objectives:
- Strengthening social partners, particularly trade unions, and supporting the fair transposition of the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages;
- Building the capacity of social partners by identifying and addressing barriers to effective social dialogue and collective bargaining;
- Improving job quality through better employment and working conditions, stronger social protection, and enhanced health and safety at work.
Project Activities
During the implementation period, the project delivered:
- Four Steering Committee meetings providing strategic guidance on methodology, research activities, implementation, and project outputs;
- One training for trade union officials focused on organising, trade union renewal, and the exchange of good practices;
- Two thematic webinars supporting knowledge-sharing and discussion among participants;
- A final conference, held in Warsaw, Poland, on 4-5 March 2026, where project findings and recommendations were presented and discussed.
Project Deliverables
As part of the project, EFFAT produced a range of publications and awareness-raising materials designed to strengthen social dialogue in the agri-food sector across SEE and CEE countries.
Publications
A comprehensive study was commissioned to assess social partner representativeness, sectoral social dialogue structures, collective bargaining coverage, and wage regulation in the agri-food sector. Drawing on research findings and input from EFFAT affiliates, the study developed recommendations to strengthen social dialogue and expand collective bargaining.
A leaflet was produced to raise awareness of the outcomes and achievements of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue, in which EFFAT participates. It introduces the European sectoral social dialogue committees that EFFAT participates in and highlights its role in advancing workers’ interests at EU level. It also builds links between sectoral social dialogue at EU and national levels and encourages greater engagement and participation at EU level.
Videos
An introductory video explaining the role of trade unions and their importance for workers.
A video showcasing how collective bargaining can improve pay, working conditions, and workers’ rights.
Contact
For more information about the project, please contact:
Ivan Ivanov, Political Secretary for Agriculture, EFFAT
The project “Strengthening Social Dialogue in the Agri-Food Sector in South-Eastern and Central-Eastern Europe” (Ref. 101145621) was co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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