The SER’s working methods must be such that it can carry out its many tasks and give advice on a wide variety of subjects. To ensure that this is the case, the SER is assisted by a number of committees and a permanent secretariat.
Council
The SER is led by an executive committee, and the full Council meets on the third Friday of every month, primarily to discuss and finalise the SER’s advisory reports to the Government. Prior to this stage, the reports are prepared and intensively discussed in a committee or working party. Where the SER’s advice is not unanimous on all points, the differences of opinion are set out in the report. These meetings are open to the public.
Committees
The SER has set up a large number of committees and working parties to carry out its tasks and prepare its advisory reports. Like the SER itself, its committees are made up of employers’ representatives, union representatives, and independent experts. In principle, committees are chaired by a Crown member.
Some committees, known as ‘Article 43 committees’ in reference to Article 43 of the Industrial Organisation Act, may give their advice directly to the government. Another special committee is the Administrative Chamber, which consists of SER council members commissioned with preparing and implementing the SER’s administrative tasks.
Secretariat
The SER’s secretariat helps it to prepare and carry out its numerous activities. The secretariat comprises some 120 employees, headed by a Secretary-General.
The secretariat consists of:
Three directorates
Directorate of Economic Affairs
Directorate of Social Affairs
Directorate of Administrative Affairs
Three facilitating departments
Department of Financial Affairs
Department of Human Resource Management
Department of Information
A Facility Management department.
Funding
Although established by law, the SER is not a government body and is financially independent of the government. It is funded by industry, via a mandatory tax levied by the Chamber of Commerce. The costs of law enforcement are funded by other taxation and contribution arrangements.
Additional information
The SER publishes a monthly magazine in the Dutch language entitled SER-bulletin .
The SER’s key advisory reports are published in book form. In some cases, a summary is available in English.
For more information about the SER, please contact the Department of Information (tel. +31 70 3 499 646).
Address:
Bezuidenhoutseweg 60
2594 AW The Hague
The Netherlands
Postal address:
P.O. Box 90405
2509 LK The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 70 3 499 499
Fax: +31 70 3 832 535