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agreements on employment and competitiveness EUROPEAN FOUNDATION for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions During the 1990s, the parties to collective agreements in the EU Member States responded to the ongoing employment crisis by concluding numerous ‘pacts for employment and competitiveness ’ (PECs). In so doing, they adopted a new approach to employment policy. In this context, PECs may be defined as collective agreements at sectoral or company level that deal explicitly with the issues of employment and competitiveness, and with the relationship between them, to either safeguard jobs that are at risk or create new ones. This report examines the different approaches taken by PECs in 11 Member States of the EU, focusing on the overall significance of the agreements for employment and collective bargaining policies. It highlights the wide-ranging content of the agreements – covering innovative measures on working time, wage structures and work organisation – and points to patterns occurring in the different countries or sectors of industry. Above all, it aims to show that, despite the difficulty of assessing the quantitative importance of PECs, it is evident that in qualitative terms they are having a far-reaching impact on all aspects of collective bargaining. Negotiating collective agreements on employment and competitiveness Price (excluding VAT) in Luxembourg: EUR 2