Three main priorities for the EU in the action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights

Turning the principles into actions is the goal of the action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights, presented by the European Commission in Brussels.

Employment, skills and social protection are the priorities proposed by the European Commission, with quantified targets that should be reached by 2030. The action plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights defines concrete actions aimed at continuing to apply the principles enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights, in a joint effort by the Member States and the EU, with active participation from social partners and civil society.

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Prime Minister António Costa said it “makes it even more satisfying” that the Action Plan was presented during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU. António Costa explained that the three main goals of the action plan include “helping to create employment for all, fighting unemployment among young people and ensuring that the jobs are decent and stable. (…); ensuring training and qualifications for all (…); reducing poverty and social exclusion to eradicate this rift that threatens our communities and the EU”.

Saying that “it is unacceptable that the EU still has such a high number of men, women and children (…) living with poverty and social exclusion”, the Prime Minister added that “the fight against child poverty, the strategy for people with disabilities, the response to homelessness and the fight against all forms of discrimination are also of fundamental importance”.

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The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security “firmly supports the ambitious goals” of the plan and said that this is “one more step towards (…) moving from principles to action, to work together in the recovery from the crisis and build a path of resilience for our common future”.

Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights as an essential element for assuring a fair an inclusive climate and digital transition is one of the main priorities of the Portuguese Presidency. For Minister Ana Mendes Godinho, the “adoption of the action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights is the cornerstone for the affirmation of the European social model and for building a stronger Social Europe”.

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The action plan on the Social Pillar is based on a broad public consultation with more than 1,000 written contributions from the EU Member States, institutions and bodies, regions, districts, social partners, civil society organisations, international organisations, reflection groups and citizens. The press release on the action plan can be found here.