BRUSSELS – ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker met to discuss cooperation in the field of employment and social policy in Europe, among other issues. It was their first official meeting since President Juncker took office in November 2014.

The meeting provided the opportunity to take stock of recent developments and to discuss the main challenges with regard to employment and social policy in Europe, including the findings of a recent ILO report on the employment aspects of the Investment Plan for Europe. They discussed the re-launch of the Social Dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to work together on this key issue. They also touched upon the situation in Greece and in particular the labour market aspects of the ongoing negotiations.

The International Labour Organization and the European Commission are long-standing partners that share fundamental values and a joint commitment to promote decent work and international labour standards, to improve working conditions and to foster social and economic progress. The EC is an important donor to the ILO. Both organizations have worked together in the areas of employment and social affairs, development cooperation and trade for over a decade.