Collective Agreements within the Limits of Europe

Abstract

Collective bargaining, meaning the self-determined and independent negotiation of collective agreements, is subject to multifarious limitations imposed by EU law. In the light of recent developments, this contribution asks which role the sovereignty of collective bargaining plays in the framework of the European economic order and how it relates to EU laws. The decisive questions are: To which extent is collective bargaining protected in Europe and to which extent may the EU limit collective bargaining? The issue concerns nothing less than the scope and limits of the power of collective bargaining.