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EU priorities: Working for a strong social Europe

The European Council’s Strategic Agenda for 2019–2024, adopted in June 2019, sets out the main priorities to guide the work of the EU. In December 2019, the von der Leyen Commission set out plans for a transition to a fair, climate-neutral and digital Europe.

The European Commission outlined six top priorities, also reflecting the main priorities for the European Parliament and those in the Council’s Strategic Agenda.

As part of the priorities outlined by the Commission, a number of initiatives have already been set in motion. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and also the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commission has had to adjust its work programme to prioritise actions needed to support the EU’s recovery as well as support the Member States and citizens of Ukraine. On 13 Septmber 2023, Commission President von der Leyen delivered the last State of the Union address of her current mandate, outlining the priorities for the year ahead. The Commission’s 2024 work programme outlines the next steps in its agenda towards delivering on the ambitions set at the outset of its mandate and further steer the EU towards a sustainable recovery, driven also by the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe. The 2024 programme lists important legislative proposals across all six priorities.

Eurofound research

Eurofound’s work directly feeds into a number of these key areas and aims to inform effective policies that can lead to recovery and resilience in creating a strong social Europe. This work falls under six main topic areas in our programming document for 2021–2024.

European Year of Skills 2023

The European Year of Skills 2023 aims to raise awareness around skills and the need to improve and develop skills to help companies address skills shortages, while also helping people to get the right skills for good quality jobs by promoting reskilling and upskilling. To support the green and digital transitions, Eurofound research informing the policy debate in this area focuses on skills strategies and digitalisation at workplace level, skills mismatches and labour market slack, as well as employment policies to tackle labour shortages. The European Company Survey and the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey both provide rich data for work on this topic. In the area of working conditions, research related to job quality and the need to improve key elements which will offset some of the issues related to labour shortages is an important contribution to the debate on skills. The research carried out on the impact of COVID-19 on working conditions can also feed into discussions on training and skills development options. 

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Explore where Eurofound’s research can provide you with the most current findings relevant to the EU policy priorities.

Priority 1: An economy that works for people

This priority focuses on ensuring social fairness and prosperity and includes the following EU initiatives:

  • European Care Strategy, presented by the Commission on 7 September 2022
  • Fair minimum wages, with the European Parliament and Member States reaching political agreement on 7 June 2022 on the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages proposed by the Commission in October 2020
  • European Year of Youth 2022, putting the spotlight on the importance of European youth to build a better future
  • European Child Guarantee (2021), adopted by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in June 2021
  • European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, presented by the Commission on 4 March 2021
  • Reinforced Youth Guarantee, launching the Youth Employment Support package on 1 July 2020, including a Council Recommendation on 'A bridge to jobs - Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee', backed up by significant EU financing under NextGenerationEU
  • NEW: Initiative on rules on the European Works Council, as announced in the State of the Union 2023 address

Other relevant topics: European Pillar of Social RightsCOVID-19

Priority 2: A Europe fit for the digital age

This priority focuses on empowering people with a new generation of technologies and includes the following initiatives:

Priority 3: Promoting our European way of life

This priority focuses on protecting our citizens and our values and includes the following initiatives:

Priority 4: A European Green Deal

This priority focuses on striving to be the first climate-neutral continent and includes the following initiatives:

  • Fit for 55 package presented in July 2021 as part of the European Green Deal to deliver the EU’s 2030 climate targets
  • European Climate Law, entered into force in July 2021 and writes into law the goals set out in the European Green Deal
  • European Green Deal to ensure a transition to a climate-neutral continent which is fair and just for all and where ‘no one will be left behind’
  • NEW: European Wind Power Action Plan and 2040 climate target, as announced in the State of the Union 2023 address

Priority 5: A stronger Europe in the world

This priority focuses on reinforcing our responsible global leadership and includes the following initiatives:

Priority 6: A new push for European democracy

This priority focuses on nurturing, protecting and strengthening our democracy and includes the following initiatives:

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