Discussions conducted in the framework of both the Joint Civil Society Dialogue Forum and the European Union Domestic Advisory Groups (EU-DAGs) of the European Union-Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) are a form of cross-border social dialogue.
The Joint Civil Society Dialogue Forum
This Agreement, in force since July 2016, includes a Chapter 13 on “Trade and Sustainable Development” which provides that, in order to conduct a dialogue on sustainable development aspects of trade relations, “the Parties shall facilitate a joint forum with civil society organisations established in their territories”. In doing so, the Parties shall promote “a balanced representation of relevant interests, including independent representative organisations of employers, workers, environmental interests, and business groups, as well as other relevant stakeholders.”
The Joint Forum shall meet at least once a year. On such occasions, the Parties shall present to the joint forum an update on the implementation of this Chapter. The Forum can express views and opinions and submit observations on matters under this Chapter raised by a Party.
More broadly, according to the Chapter 13, the Parties “affirm their commitment to pursue sustainable development”, “to effectively implement in law and in practice the fundamentals, the priority and other ILO conventions ratified by the Member States of the European Union and the Republic of Moldova, respectively” and to “consider the ratification of the remaining priority and other conventions that are classified as up-to-date by the ILO.”
The European Union Domestic Advisory Group (EU-DAGs)
The Parties to the DCFTA are required to establish Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) at national level "with the task of advising on the implementation" of the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter. While DAGs are ordinarily spaces for dialogue between national organizations, they also take part in the “Stakeholders Forum” which is a cross-border level body.
DAGs comprize “independent representative organisations of civil society in a balanced representation of economic, social, and environmental stakeholders, including, among others, employers' and workers' organizations, non-governmental organizations, business groups, as well as other relevant stakeholders.”
The EU-DAG under the DCFTA includes representatives of European trade unions and employers’ organizations as well as representatives of national trade unions and employers’ organizations, alongside other civil society organizations. See more information on the Group’s composition. As such, the EU-DAG generates cross-border dialogue among organizations from different EU Member States.
In addition, representatives of the two Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) from the EU and Moldova meet regularly.