The European Commission-funded programme for cooperation between the EU and Latin America on social and employment policies ‘EUROsociAL+’ asked the OSE to conduct a study on the socio-ecological dimension of the EU recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The objective of this research is twofold. First, to identify and discuss relevant initiatives taken at the EU level aimed at linking and making environmental and social objectives compatible in the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
European Pillar of Social Rights
The OSE was contracted by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) to write a preliminary assessment of whether the European Green Deal (EGD) constitutes a suitable policy framework to combine environmental and economic objectives with the pursuit of social fairness, thus ensuring a just transition towards more sustainable economies and societies. The resulting Working paper focuses on two elements that appear crucial to the achievement of a socially just transition in the framework of the EGD.
The aim of this study for the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee is twofold: a) to analyse concrete proposals aimed at integrating the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) into EU policies; and b) to provide policy-makers and stakeholders with specific recommendations to achieve such an objective.
The study on “How to implement key elements of the European Pillar of Social Rights: what is needed to guarantee a positive social impact” will provide the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) with recommendations on effective implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Particular attention is given to the ways in which social partners and civil society could play an important role in consultation and participation, in particular through the EESC. The study focuses on three priority areas: fair working conditions, collective bargaining and wages.
Allan Larsson, Maria Joao Rodrigues, Esther Lynch, Josef Wöss and Ruth Paserman discussed how the proposed Pillar of Social Rights will be transposed into concrete actions at the EU level, and how Member States can be convinced into accepting more guidance on achieving convergence towards higher social standards. Bart Vanhercke moderated the debate.
Discovering methods to effectively combat poverty and social exclusion has become a major political challenge in Europe, especially in the context of the European Pillar of Social Rights.