""The work programme of the European Social Partners for the years 2003 to 2005 contained the commitment to undertake a study on restructuring in what were the then ten candidate countries of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The intention of the Social Partners to carry out the study was confirmed in a joint letter accompanying the “Orientations for Reference in Managing Change and its Social Consequences” sent to the EU Commission.

The ten new Member States studied faced a series of complex problems. Eight of the ten countries are young market economies that have gone through 15 years of dramatic, and often traumatic, economic transition. This adjustment continues in each country to a greater or lesser extent. All of the countries involved were striving to cope with the requirements of their accession into the European Union whilst dealing with the challenges of globalisation, technological development, modernisation of work organisation and privatisation. The objective of the European Social Partners in undertaking this study was to capture this unique period of experience in a manner that would influence the European social policy agenda and the future joint work of the Social Partners.

The final report is available below. The report is part of a project organised with the financial support of the European Commission. It represents an expert view and does not necessarily reflect the view of the European Social Partners or the European Commission."

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