The Council of Ministers has approved a Royal Decree regulating the composition and operation of the social dialogue tables to guarantee the participation of trade unions and business organisations in the preparation and monitoring of the National Plan for the Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Emission Rights.

This Royal Decree complies with the provisions of Article 14 of Law 1/2005, of 9 March, which regulates the emissions trading system, in terms of assessing the impact of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol on competitiveness, employment stability and social cohesion in each of the productive sectors involved.

For the first time in our country, social dialogue seeks to reconcile social and environmental objectives, a novel initiative that has been highly valued on the international stage. The social dialogue tables will make it possible to foresee and minimise, where appropriate, the less desirable effects caused by policies to combat climate change and will identify the most efficient and least costly options.

This regulation develops the commitments agreed on the matter with the Declaration for Social Dialogue, signed on 8 July 2004 between the Government, the employers’ organisations CEOE and CEPYME and the UGT and CCOO trade unions.