As well as the former EU-15 member states, the 10 new member states must enable companies to set up a European Company (SE)on their territory as from 8th October 2004. It is important to emphasize the new potential for employee involvement coming from the SE-directive, not only in terms of transnational information and consultation rights, but also in opening the possibility to monitor management decisions. The SE-legislation provides worker representatives in an SE with the right to sit in company boardrooms (board-level representation).

In 2003, the Hans Böckler Foundation (Germany), SYNDEX (France) and the European Trade Union Institute - together with their partners the Labour Research Department (GB) and Sindnova (Italy) - carried out a project which pooled information about systems of board-level representation of workers throughout the 15 EU member states at three transnational seminars and in 15 country reports.

A first glance on the existing national laws to the issue in the new member states shows nearly the same level of diversity as in the first 15. But there is a notable lack of information about real practices and the meaning of worker involvement concerning the new member states. When European Companies are set up, it can be assumed that some will either take their seat in one of the new member states, or parts of the SE will be located on their territories. It is therefore important that the real situation and the possible existing links to European legislation should be examined in more detail by organising and evaluating an exchange of experiences. This project is the first to take a pan-European approach to board-level participation that will include the new member states.

The project aims

• to improve awareness of the SE Directive in the new member states,



• to improve knowledge of national systems and cultures regarding worker participation at board level and to create a platform for exchange between “old” and “new” member states



• to develop an ongoing process of improving and increasing knowledge on the topic to a fixed group of experts coming specifically from the new member states.

Therefore, the project aims to give space for listening and learning from each other, not only among concerned actors in the new member states.

The project takes place from December 2004 to December 2005. It consists of two seminars concentrating on exchange of national law and practice, one seminar to develop expert resources on the SE in the trade unions of the new member states, and a final conference that is structured on similar lines to the seminars.

Finally, the knowledge gathered will be made available electronically in executive summaries to be translated into the languages of the new countries and will be also used to create a new publication which will add to and enhance existing material in the publication,’ The European Company: Prospects for Board-Level Representation’ (ETUI, HBF: 2004), especially by including information on the new member states.