During a two-day visit to Slovenia, representatives of the Danish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Swedish and Slovenian management associations exchanged views and practices on topical issues in the individual countries such as the development of the working environment, socio-economic policies at the EU level and the development of European management.

Among the key challenges that managers have been facing, they highlighted constantly increasing demands and expectations at all business levels and the changes related to globalisation. Paolo Scarpa, the representative of the Italian private and public sector management association, CIDA, which has more than 70 years of tradition and connects 150,000 members, explained that today's globalisation eliminates both geographical and functional boundaries. "This requires managers to reflect and to adapt to the change, especially in the organisation of work itself and the working environment. Managers must be able to make the environment appropriate for the situation and its employees.

Among the objectives is the establishment of management in dialogue with the social partners at the European level. Development of European management has been defined through three main objectives: establishment of management as a strong interlocutor in dialogue with European social partners, empowerment of managers as individuals, and the strengthening of the management role at the state level in dialogue with governments and the general public. "We want to illustrate the importance and role of management in both the private and the public sectors, the role it has in the successful functioning of the European Union, communities and businesses. Management has a great responsibility to employees and owners therefore, as an agent of both, managers must be actively involved in shaping the European economic environment", said Torkild Justesen, Director of the largest Danish Association of Managers, in Lederna, which has 116,000 members.

Development Strategy by May 2019

A meeting was hosted by Saša Mrak, Executive Director of the Managers' Association of Slovenia and a member of the working group to develop the European Management Strategy within CEC. She highlighted the importance of networking in the large European network. "It is important that we are part of the European network and that as part of this European association, we will be more strongly involved in the social dialogue and the shaping of European policies in the future, which have a significant impact on the economic environment, employees and ultimately, society. Our working group will complete the European Management Development Strategy by May 2019, when the entire network will be presented."

Among the participants at the meeting were Christophe Lefèvre, CFE-CGC, State Secretary for European and International Affairs with the French Federation of Managers, which has more than 170,000 members; Thomas Sauer, ULA, Vice-President of the German Association of Managers, which connects 15 professional associations and 60,000 managers; Paulo Marcos, SNQTB, President of the Portuguese National Association of Personnel and Technicians in Banking, which connects more than 17,500 members and Tomas Oskarsson, Ledarna, Secretary of the Swedish Federation of Managers, which connects 23 industry associations and 93,000 members.

CEC connects 16 partner organisations from 14 countries

CEC is an independent and autonomous European Association of Managers which promotes the managerial voice and management as the link between employees and workers. It is a European social partner advocating European integration, establishing a balance between the business success of companies and income, and the social protection of employees. The organisation has been operating since 1951.