Spotlight on Social Europe
I want Europe to strive for more when it comes to social fairness and prosperity. This is our Union’s founding promise. I am proud of our unique European social market economy. It is what allows our economies to grow — and what drives poverty and inequality to fall. It ensures that social fairness and welfare come first.
This extract from the ‘An economy that works for people’ priority — one of the political priorities of the new 2019-2024 European Commission — reveals President Ursula von der Leyen’s perspective on what a social Europe is and why it is important. In addition, on 14 January 2020, the new Commission presented its first reflections on building a strong social Europe for just transitions.
This shows the commitment of the Commission to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the previous Commission in November 2017. The pillar set out 20 key principles, structured into three categories (equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion) to deliver new and more effective rights for citizens.
Our first newsletter of 2020 provides you with the resources to explore in more detail what social Europe really means. And as always, it brings you an additional selection of the most interesting EU publications on several other topics, including research.
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In the context of the wide debate on the future of Europe, this paper reflects on fundamental and strategic questions about the social dimension of the EU in different scenarios. It can thus be perceived as the foundation upon which any further discussion on the topic should be built. |
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Irish |
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For a fairer and more social Europe |
This pocket guide sets out the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights for a fairer, more inclusive EU and explains how the pillar can contribute to sustainable economic growth. Most importantly, it is intended to show, through everyday experiences in the job market, daily life and retirement, how the pillar can benefit citizens. |
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
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Your stories |
Social Europe is no mere abstraction. Behind it millions of real lives are being improved. This improvement leads to better and happier societies not only for the beneficiaries but for everyone, since no one can thrive in societies where extreme poverty, inequality and exclusion are the norm. This publication offers real examples of the impact of social Europe on the lives of real people. If you are interested in exploring perspectives like these further, you can also visit the ‘Still a working title? Social and employment realities in Europe’ exhibition portraying Europeans in real-life situations and showing some of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights as lived by Europeans every day. |
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
More on this topic |
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Sustainable growth for all: choices for the future of Social Europe |
The 2019 edition of Employment and Social Developments in Europe provides evidence-based groundwork in order to reflect on the future of a protective, competitive and fair Europe. It explores the EU’s understanding of sustainable development and its links to economic growth, social inclusion, equality, well-being, climate, natural resources and labour market institutions. The conclusions of the analysis are positive: making Europe’s development sustainable appears to be a perfectly realistic goal. |
Available in English |
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Convergence and the European Pillar of Social Rights |
convergence in some important aspects of Europeans’ lives stalled or even reversed. Against this background, the aim of this policy brief is to investigate upward convergence from 2008 to 2018. It identifies the areas most affected by the economic crisis and which should therefore perhaps be given higher priority. |
Available in English |
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What is needed to guarantee a positive social impact - Study |
This study on behalf of the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee offers an analysis of early initiatives launched in the context of the European Pillar of Social Rights. In addition, it provides concrete policy recommendations for ensuring the effective implementation of the pillar. Four key findings emerged from the analysis and are waiting for you to discover them. |
Available in English |
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A study of national policies |
This report offers an analysis of social protection expenditure and its financing across European countries. It reviews how financing sources differ between countries and how the relative importance of these sources has been changing since 2005. It concludes by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each country’s model, the challenges that may arise in the coming years, and the possible answers to these challenges. |
Available in English |
Research and innovation |
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While it is one of the world’s three greatest economic and trade powers (alongside the United States and China), the EU is arguably punching below its weight in the complex game of international diplomacy, because foreign policy remains a core competence of the individual Member States. However, the new Commission envisions taking a more active role on the world stage and this is what citizens of Europe appear to want. The special feature of this issue of Research*eu highlights eight projects analysing the EU’s external priorities and making recommendations on how the EU’s future global role should evolve. As experts but not diplomats or politicians themselves, the researchers involved offer many out-of-the-box viewpoints on how the EU could become a stronger international actor. |
Available in English and French
(Individual article also available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish on the CORDIS website) |
Also out recently |
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July 2018 to November 2019 |
This report sets out the work of the European Council from July 2018 to the end of November 2019. It focuses on how, 3 years after the referendum result, the terms for an orderly Brexit were settled with Prime Minister Johnson, paving the way forward for talks on the future partnership between the EU and the United Kingdom, and extending the date of Brexit to 31 January 2020. It highlights the Council’s work on internal and external security, migration, global cooperation, economy and trade. There are additional highlights from the work of President Donald Tusk, who has been representing the EU externally during a time when the rules-based international order is under considerable pressure. |
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Accelerating Europe’s transformation |
The investment report, issued annually by the European Investment Bank, provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of investment and its financing in the European Union. It combines the exploration of trends with in-depth analysis, focusing especially on the drivers of and barriers to investment activity. The report leverages a unique set of databases and survey data, including an annual survey of 12 500 firms in Europe. It provides critical input to policy debates on the need for public action in investment, and on the types of intervention that can have the greatest impact. |
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2019 Sakharov Prize laureate |
Awarded for the first time in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work. Through the prize and associated actions, the EU supports and empowers laureates in their efforts to defend their causes. This publication presents Ilham Tohti, who won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2019. Ilham Tohti is a Uyghur economist fighting for the rights of China’s Uyghur minority. |
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
You may also like |
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Social media manager, Airbnb host, influencer, search engine optimisation specialist, app developer, Uber driver, driverless car engineer, podcast producer and drone operator: these are just some of the jobs that did not exist 10 years ago. What will happen in the future? What will today’s 10-year-olds do when they are 25? What kinds of jobs will disappear, what kinds will be created and why? Which new skills will be valuable in the job market? What new forms of work are emerging? These are some of the very interesting questions this study attempts to answer. Readers who want to explore the topic further can consult the ‘Skill needs forecasts: employment trends’ data set, which provides comprehensive information on the future labour market trends in Europe. |
Available in English |
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Looking at the lives of older people in the EU: 2019 edition |
Statistical information is an important tool for understanding and quantifying the impact of political decisions on different age groups within society. This report provides a detailed picture of the daily lives of older people in the EU with data for individual EU Member States and European Free Trade Association countries. Each chapter presents statistical information in tables, figures and maps, accompanied by a descriptive analysis highlighting the main findings. |
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This publication offers a comprehensive overview of illicit drug markets in the European Union. It spans numerous topics, such as the links between drug-related crime and other crimes, the broader, licit economy and society, and the processes and players involved in the trade, from production and trafficking to distribution. It is an essential reference document for law enforcement professionals, policymakers, the academic community and anyone seeking up-to-date information on drug markets in Europe. |
Available in English |
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