Opportunities and Challenges of EU Accession: Industrial Relations in Romania

Abstract: This study examines the outcomes of EU accession for industrial relations institutions and workers' rights in Eastern Europe, using Romania as an example. It focuses on EU influence on labour law, the development of the social partners and collective bargaining as well as the impact of foreign direct investment and migration. EU enlargement resulted in both opportunities (improvement of statutory rights for workers) and challenges (labour shortages and difficulties in implementing labour law). Comparisons between the new member states suggest that the effects of the EU accession process vary across countries, depending on national macro-economic strategies and the strength of trade unions.