EAST-WEST Journal of ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS 13 Journal of Economics and Business Vol. XXII – 2019, No 1 ARE EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS A VEHICLE FOR THE EUROPEANIZATION OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS? A STUDY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVES Theodore KOUTROUKIS DEMOCRITUS UNIVERSITY OF THRACE ABSTRACT The need for social partnership has resulted in the adoption of the European Works Councils (EWC) Directive. This regulation gives employees the right of information and consultation. This paper includes findings and assessment of a research project on EWCs. The research concentrates on the oil/lubricants and food/beverage sectors using several case studies and interviews with HRM Executives. The results indicate that EWCs contribute to the Europeanization in several aspects of employee relations, although that contribution has been limited in those issues that are wished by the MNCs. Keywords: European Works Councils, Europeanization, Multinational Companies JEL Classification: J50, M54, J59 Introduction The continuous promotion of European integration, and in particular the acceleration of globalization, has important implications for both European and