The event, held yesterday in Brussels, was the result of a year-long EU-sponsored project that received €250,000 (£210,000) in funding. It was sparked by the 11% fall in European print production that took place from 2008 to mid-2009.

Employers were represented by Intergraf (which represents 23 national printing federations across Europe), and employees by Uni Europa Graphical, the European trade union federation.

"Our aim is to help the industry tackle change, so we decided to join forces and apply for funding," explained Beatrice Klose, secretary general of Intergraf. "The outcome is two parallel works: a study based on reviews and expert interviews to get a feeling of what the industry is going through, and a practical toolkit to guide people through the process of restructuring that’s a good tool for both management and workforce representatives."

The conference heard from a variety of companies of different shapes and sizes that had successfully reinvented themselves or achieved changes in their way of working. The UK was well-represented at the event, with companies including Northend Creative Solutions, Jade Press, and Ryedale Group sharing their experiences.

Simon Dubbins, president of Uni Europa Graphical, said the conference had "broken the ice" and provided a rich exchange of views. "There's a clear recognition of the challenges the sector faces. The message is to diversify, and the union is a willing partner for dialogue and to engage in this. We understand it's not necessarily going to be easy."

A joint declaration was signed committing both sides to social dialogue at a European level – also something that has never happened before.

The toolkit will be downloadable from the BPIF website shortly (www.britishprint.com).