The European Social Dialogue takes place at a cross-sectoral level between the ETUC and the cross-sectoral employers' organisations (BusinessEurope, CEEP and UEAPME) as well as at a sectoral level.  The cross-sectoral European Social Dialogue has produced several pieces of the EU social legislation, among which the agreements on parental leave (1996, revised in 2008) and revised in 2008, part-time work (1997) and the fixed-term contracts (1999).

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=479&langId=en
http://www.etuc.org/european-social-dialogue