Employers and employees are represented by the European social partners UNICE, CEEP, and ETUC. They can bargain collectively with one another and make agreements. Collective agreements are not self-binding at the EU-level. They have to be implemented by a directive and/or according to the labour law provisions of the Member States.
Member States are not obliged to implement EU-wide collective agreements, but they have to guarantee that EU directives based on such agreements are transformed into laws that include those who are not organised in trade unions. This is called the erga omnes principle.
The implementation of European collective agreements through collective agreements at national level is the responsibility of the national social partners.
The future
The EU Constitution makes Social policy a shared competence - EU law will therefore suppress national competence to legislate. The EU Constitution takes over the special article on the social dialogue between the social partners.