What does the word "Y" represent?

[Une]

In the following passage, what does the word "y" in the sentence "Les restaurateurs s'y sont engagés" represent?

Après des années de pourparlers, c'est officiel : le taux de la TVA baissera à 5,5 % dans la restauration le 1er juillet, et cela se verra sur l'addition ! Les restaurateurs s'y sont engagés auprès du gouvernement.

Une

[Frank]

Hello Une,

You're right, "y" should refer to something. In your example, there must be a previous statement that "y" refers to, probably in the previous sentence.

There are _some_ rare cases where "y" doesn't refer to anything in particular (or this is implicit), but they are mostly expressions, as in:

J'y vais - (lit. "I'm going there") - I have to let you go. You don't explicitely need to tell where you are going.
Il y a - There is/there are - Again, you don't need to explicitely tell where it is.
Vas-y (lit. "Go there") - Come on/go ahead

[Crack1]

Frank

The following is a good one.
Tu dois obéir à Pamela.
You must obey Pamela.

However, you forgot the following:
Tu dois obéir à Neil.
You must obey Neil.

[michael memmi]

The letter Y is a 'short' to what the sentence wich preced , mention.
ex. J aime Paris et j'y vais. Here it replaces Paris.
or any place , mentionned just before

[Une]

Many thanks, Michael.