Spotlight on the social dimension
of the European Union
This week the European Commission has published the Reflection paper on the social dimension of Europe. It is the first of five reflection papers announced in the White paper on the future of Europe which are intended to offer different ideas, proposals, options or scenarios for Europe and to open a debate without presenting definitive decisions at this stage. Also this week, the Commission has presented the European Pillar of Social Rights, which sets out twenty key principles and rights to support fair and well-functioning labour markets and welfare systems.
To provide a wider context for this important debate, the Publications Office presents a selection of recent titles on the social aspects of policy-making in the EU. |
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Annual review 2016
The annual review of employment and social developments in Europe provides analytical support for EU and national policy actions in pursuit of the Europe 2020 employment and social objectives. It considers the latest available data and provides analysis of key employment and social developments and challenges in the EU and its Member States.
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Study
This study assesses the tensions between EU social and labour rights and EU internal market law, namely how the original idea that free-moving workers were intended to be treated equally has in practice created avenues for subjecting free movers to precarious employment, in turn disrupting local employment conditions. The authors explore responses by socioeconomic and political actors at national and EU level to these tensions. A summary of the key findings and recommendations of the study can be found here.
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Evidence review
Poverty and social exclusion are often associated with long-term unemployment and household joblessness. Yet in today’s European labour market, a job is not always sufficient to provide a decent livelihood for workers and their families, and in many Member States in-work poverty is on the rise. This review pulls together the existing evidence from across the EU on the effectiveness of different policy interventions aimed at reducing low pay and in-work poverty.
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Facts & figures on competitiveness & innovation 2017
Industry matters – one in five jobs is in industry. New technologies bring rapid changes and are breaking down the barriers between supply chains, customers and business. Europe must continually innovate to remain competitive in a global market place. The EU must cultivate its talent base, just as it must defend its role as a global standard and rule setter. This publication provides an overview of the European Union’s wide-ranging activities that will boost industrial competitiveness for the benefit of all Europeans. The initiatives focus on building an economy that is circular, sustainable, inclusive – and ready for the future.
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Safety, security, privacy and societal insights
This publication gives an insight into safety, security, privacy and societal questions emerging from the rise of the Internet of Toys. These are internet-connected toys that constitute, along with the wave of other domestic connected objects, the Internet of Things, which has increased the ubiquity of the information and communication technologies within our everyday lives, bringing technology, more than ever, closer to us and our children.
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Discover where EU agencies are based and what they do
This brochure provides an overview of the breadth and depth of work carried out by the various specialised EU decentralised agencies and joint undertakings. It showcases their combined added value, and how they are working to help make Europe a more competitive and better place to live and work.
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