The third workshop within the framework of a project of the European Academy for Environmentally Friendly Transport (EVA) took place in Warsaw from 26 to 27 June 2008.

The topic of the project is "The European Works Council of Deutsche Bahn AG as a player in proactively managing change in the European freight transport market". The project is funded by the European Commission and conducted by the EVA in cooperation with the European Works Council (EWC).

After the first two workshops in Copenhagen and Paris, the focal area of this third workshop was to outline and discuss the freight transport market in Eastern Europe. In addition to the EWC members from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands, the workshop was also attended by trade union representatives from Croatia, Austria and Bulgaria.

A representative from Railion Deutschland AG reported on the strategy of Deutsche Bahn AG in the east/south-east region.

This workshop also received financial and staff support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). In his presentation about European employee networks, Clemens Rode - regional coordinator of the FES for labour relations and social dialogue in Central and Eastern Europe - pointed out the significance of the EWC as the centre of all network activities.

The concluding workshop of this project will be held in Berlin from 11 to 12 September 2008. On the basis of the findings from the three previous workshops, structures in the EWC are to be developed there which will prevent the changes in the European transport market from having a negative impact on employees' working conditions.