They also sit with the European Economic and Social Committee, alongside other organisations representing civil society. The social partners play a key role in implementing the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, by launching projects and initiatives at European and national level. European social partners have had a considerable influence on the preparation of the following Commission proposals: Revamping the rules to protect EU workers from harmful electromagnetic fields; The new framework Directive on the establishment of the European Works Councils; The Directive implementing the revised Framework Agreement on parental leave; The recommendation on a smoke-free environment Examples in action Poland The role of governments and social partners in keeping older workers in the labour market. In view of Poland’s ranking as lowest in the EU professional activity indicators for people aged 45+, the government and social partners see the need for actions boosting occupational development of this group. Poland has a universal plan called ‘Generations’ Solidarity: Actions for Increasing Occupational Activity of People Aged 50+’, developed within the social dialogue institutions. So far it has been implemented through legislation, most importantly with regard to the pension system, and specifically raising and equalising the statutory retirement age for men and women and restricting access to early retirement schemes. Very few actions revolve around improving the quality of work of older workers. Korea Labor Foundation, which was founded in April 2007 under the tripartite consensus on the importance of social partners' autonomous contribution to a more stable and advanced labor relations, is the one and only public institution that is engaged in the programs and activities to promote the labor relations in Korea. The programs and activities of the Foundation, which are all designed to help and guide social partners to work together with responsibility and for their common benefits, include: financial assistance for social partnership education and joint programs; workplace innovation consulting to increase competitiveness at workplace; employment generation, by creating selective worktime jobs, improving the long work practice and promoting flexible work schemes; outplacement services for retirees in their 40s or older; counseling and education to prevent and remedy unreasonable discrimination in employment; and international exchanges in the field of labor relations. References http://www.eqavet.eu/qa/gns/glossary/s/social-partners.aspx http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/industrialrelations/dictionary/definitions/europeansocialpartners.htm http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---europe/---ro-geneva/---ilo-brussels/documents/presentation/wcms_180714.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140606223116/http://www.tpwu.org.tw/periodical/391/1202.htm http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/glossary/social_partners_en.htm http://www.ab.gov.tr/index.php?l=2 http://www.ab.gov.tr/files/ardb/evt/1_avrupa_birligi/1_9_politikalar/1_9_7_sosyal_politika/consulting_european_social_partners.pdf http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn1210012s/pl1210019q.htm http://inosa.or.kr/eng/front/KLF/whoweare.htm http://china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2014-04/22/content_32163654.htm Labor relations