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Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Extractive indutries - Sectoral social dialogue

Social dialogue in the extractive industry covers activities related to NACE (Rev.2) code 05, 07, 08 and 09, which covers: 

  • mining of hard coal, lignite, iron and non-ferrous metal ores, and minerals,
  • extraction of peat and salt,
  • other mining and quarrying and support activities.

The sectoral social dialogue committee has been created in 2002, which can trace its roots back to 1952 when the Comité d’étude des producteurs de charbon d’Europe occidentale (CEPCEO) was established. 

In 2020, the extractive industry employed around 335.000 employees, corresponding to 0,26% of the active workforce of the EU27 countries (Eurostat’s Structural Business Statistics, 2020).

The sector faces the following main challenge:

  • occupational Health and Safety, considering the numerous risk factors proper from the sector
  • price and availability of energy and raw materials
  • environmental and digital transitions, while supporting workers and businesses in the EU
  • attractiveness for new and skilled workers.

Workers' representatives

Employers' representatives

Key Areas 

The current work programme focuses on:

  • green deal, critical/strategic raw materials and industrial policy
  • monitoring of the Just Transition Mechanism/Fund
  • responsible extractive industry and societal acceptance in mining
  • health & Safety
  • skills and competences

Activities and meetings

Check the library entries for this sectoral social dialogue committee.

Achievements/Joint texts

Check the social dialogue texts database.