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European Pillar of Social Rights

The EU institutions jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights in November 2017, followed by an action plan for its implementation in March 2021. The initiative sets out 20 principles aimed at ‘delivering new and effective rights for citizens’. The key principles are structured around three categories: equal opportunities and access to the labour market; fair working conditions; and social protection and inclusion. The Pillar serves as the EU’s compass for achieving better living and working conditions and supporting the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Listen to our Eurofound Talks podcast with European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, about implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and making Europe a better, fairer, greener and more digital place to live and work.

Topic

Recent updates

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From January to June 2024, Eurofound supports the work of Belgium's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

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From July to December 2023, Eurofound supported the work of Spain's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

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EU context

On 14 January 2020, the European Commission published its Communication setting out its social policy ambitions and describing the challenges to be overcome in the EU. Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights will be crucial to achieving a strong social Europe and bringing fairness to the daily lives of citizens. It is the social strategy to ensure that the transitions in the Commission’s objectives around climate neutrality, digitalisation and demographic change are socially just and fair. 

On 4 March 2021, the Commission presented its action plan to fully implement the Pillar. The action plan sets out its ambition for a strong social Europe that focuses on jobs and skills and paves the way for a fair, inclusive and resilient recovery from the crisis. It turns the 20 principles into concrete measures and actions to ensure that the Pillar becomes a reality for citizens in their daily lives, setting new 2030 targets for employment, skills and social protection.

The updated Social Scoreboard, accompanying the Pillar, aims to monitor the performance of Member States in the employment and social field along the various dimensions outlined in the Pillar to check progress in its implementation.

This is about a recovery that creates new #jobs. It is about equipping people with the #skills they need. We will set ourselves ambitious targets on jobs and skills.

— European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen

European Industrial Relations Dictionary

Key outputs

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This programming document describes Eurofound’s planned work over the programming period 2021–2024. It sets out the policy and institutional context for the programme, describes the multiannual programme for the four-year...

7 december 2020
Publication
Work programme
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This compendium of articles presents a snapshot of some of Eurofound’s most recent research, and highlights important 21st-century trends in quality of life and working conditions throughout the EU. It...

3 marts 2020
Publication
Other

Ongoing work

Eeuropean Pillar of Social Rights infographic
Infographic March 2022

Eurofound will be an essential knowledge source for the EU institutions, Member States and social partners in implementing the initiatives of the Pillar in 2021 and beyond. The Agency has generated a wealth of evidence on topics central to the Pillar including minimum wages, gender equality, youth employment, skills and training, platform work, an ageing society and social protection.

A compendium of articles organised around the European Commission’s six priorities for Europe presents a snapshot of some of the research areas linked with the Pillar; important questions for the EU institutions over the next decade; and trends that we have observed in quality of life and working conditions throughout the EU.

Eurofound’s 2021–2024 work programme sets out a schedule of projects that will provide valuable insights for realising the goals of the Pillar. 

Minimum wages

Ongoing research on developments in minimum wages across the EU Member States reports on how they are set and how they have developed in nominal and real terms. This is a topic where Eurofound has a well-established track record.

Gender equality

Eurofound research topics include pay transparency in Europe, women in management, funding of female entrepreneurship, discrimination against men at work, and gender equality at work.

Youth employment

Eurofound has almost a decade of findings to support this topic, analysing the population of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), the adverse consequences of this and estimated loss to the EU economy, as well as policy approaches to address long-term youth unemployment.

Skills and training

Extensive research about skills in the European workplace includes information on training, work organisation and job design, and skills mismatches. Skills and training needs are also featuring in research on digitalisation and platform work. 

Platform work

Research has analysed the most prevalent types of platform work as regards employment and working conditions.

Ageing society

    Eurofound has extensively mapped measures to retain and reintegrate older workers into the labour market, such as flexible working options offering more sustainable employment. Research on work after retirement in the EU highlights the need to tackle gender income gaps.

    Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey analyses the persistent challenges to certain age groups and raises issues around the effectiveness of social protection.

    Research continues in this topic on a variety of themes, which are outlined below with links to forthcoming titles. 

    Eurofound expert(s)

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    Massimiliano Mascherini has been Head of the Social Policies unit at Eurofound since October 2019. He joined Eurofound in 2009 as a research manager, designing and coordinating...

    Head of Unit,
    Social policies research unit
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    Tadas Leončikas is Head of the Employment unit at Eurofound since September 2022. Prior to this, he was a senior research manager in the Social Policies unit, managing the European...

    Head of Unit,
    Employment research unit
    Publications results (27)

    This working paper investigates the practical implementation of the European Works Council (EWC) Directive at company level. It explores the challenges faced by existing EWCs and provides examples of solutions identified and remaining issues from the point of view of both workers and management. In

    25 October 2022

    Covid-19-pandemien har forstærket ulighederne i mange dimensioner af de europæiske samfund, herunder uligheder mellem kvinder og mænd på forskellige centrale områder. Denne rapport ser på de kønsbestemte uligheder, der fandtes før covid-19-krisen, og beskriver, hvordan pandemien har påvirket dem

    13 October 2022

    In collecting information on essential services, the European Commission requested Eurofound to provide input on certain aspects of existing and planned measures in the Member States to improve access to essential services in reference to Principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. For thi

    07 September 2022

    I denne rapport analyseres den seneste udvikling og ny praksis, når det gælder procedurer og resultater inden for kollektive overenskomstforhandlinger, hovedsagelig inden for den private sektor. Rapporten omfatter overenskomstforhandlingssystemer i 10 EU-medlemsstater og er baseret på sager, der er

    31 August 2022

    Despite the well-known adverse effects of regular long working hours on workers’ health, well-being and performance, many workers in the EU continue to work beyond their normal hours. Part of this additional working time is classified as overtime. This report takes a comparative overview of how

    10 March 2022

    This paper provides a context for the questions to be explored within the Foundation Forum 2022. Europe is emerging from the COVID-19 crisis having managed to protect its economy in the face of a major shock and prevent mass unemployment. However, challenges remain. While the Member States up to now

    24 February 2022

    I de senere år har der været et generelt fald i antallet af faglige aktioner i EU's medlemsstater, dog afbrudt af stigninger i visse år. Under covid-19-pandemien er denne tendens fortsat, og de vigtigste arbejdskonflikter optræder ikke overraskende i sektoren for sundhed og sociale ydelser

    07 February 2022

    Opadgående konvergens er kernen i EU-projektet. Medlemsstaterne og deres borgere tilslutter sig Unionen i forventning om, at deres medlemskab vil føre til afbalanceret økonomisk velstand og sociale fremskridt på tværs af landene. De voksende forskelle mellem medlemsstaterne, der f.eks. opstod under

    20 December 2021

    En af de mest slående udviklinger i det seneste halve århundrede har været den enorme stigning i kvinders arbejdsmarkedsdeltagelse. Netto er to ud af tre nye job i EU i løbet af de seneste to årtier blevet besat af kvinder. Samtidig har stærkt stigende beskæftigelsesfrekvenser blandt ældre

    14 December 2021

    This report analyses and compares the industrial relations landscape in several sectors and activities that form a public service cluster across the 27 EU Member States and the UK – altogether employing over 57 million workers and representing 25% of the total workforce in the economy. It is based

    09 December 2021

    Online resources results (10)

    Mary McCaughey is joined by Eurofound Executive Director Ivailo Kalfin and Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, to look at the political, social and economic drivers in Europe and how they might influence voters at the ballot box in the European Parliament elections in June.

    14 maj 2024

    Eurofound presentation to the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound, 24 January 2023.

    23 januar 2023
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    During his visit to Dublin, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit talks about using the European Pillar of Social Rights to make Europe a better, fairer, greener and more digital place to live and work. War had just commenced in Ukraine but we were hopeful of a solution. In

    29 marts 2022
    Female teleworker taking notes during video conference on her laptop

    Workers want to telework but long working hours, isolation and inadequate equipment must be tackled

    The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in telework, with dramatic increases in the number of employees working from home (teleworking) in many European countries. What for many employees started out as a mandatory move seems to have transformed into a preference among the majority for part-time or

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    Twin transition and pandemic challenge Eurofound to increase expertise, strengthen partnerships, expand reach, says new Director

    Eurofound welcomed Ivailo Kalfin to his new role as Executive Director on 1 June. After one month in the job, he reflects on the challenges facing the EU, how they will impact on the work of Eurofound and his priorities for shaping the Agency over the next five years.

    Working remotely: An overview of trends, opportunities, challenges and risks 9 March 2021 Presentation by Irene Mandl, Head of unit - Employment, Eurofound

    9 marts 2021

    Labour market regulation, effectiveness of legal rights and obligations, and safety and health at work 9 March 2021 Presentation by Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of unit - Working life, Eurofound

    9 marts 2021

    Connecting and disconnecting and work-life balance 9 March 2021 Presentation by Tina Weber, Research manager - Employment unit, Eurofound

    9 marts 2021
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    Have your say on reinforcing social Europe

    The European Commission continues to consult on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, with a focus on assessing the EU social acquis, reflecting on new trends in work patterns and societies, and getting feedback on the outline of Pillar itself. Eurofound has generated a wealth

    Blogs results (10)
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    Spiralling housing costs are causing despair across the EU. The situation is making people anxious that they will lose their accommodation or become homeless; they may become overburdened financially or forced to live in substandard accommodation; and many young people are unable to leave home. Whil

    4 april 2023
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    The dawn of 2022 brought muted optimism to a Europe beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the progress of vaccination programmes worldwide brought hope. Government and EU support during the pandemic had kept unemployment at bay, averting the widescale collapse of businesses. In step wi

    19 december 2022
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    Today is Europe Day, and one hundred young people from Ireland and Ukraine will be marking the event at Eurofound, in peaceful south Dublin. Europe Day has traditionally been seen as a celebration of peace and unity in Europe, but, unfortunately, it must be marked differently this year. Europe Day 2

    9 maj 2022
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    The European Pillar of Social Rights states that ‘everyone has the right to affordable long-term care services of good quality, in particular home-care and community-based services’. Taking a step to make this principle a reality, the European Commission is currently preparing a European Care Strate

    5 maj 2022
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    With the arrival of the month of May, the 2022 European Semester Spring Package is anticipated soon. After a transformative year in 2021, which saw the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under NextGenerationEU, the European Semester cycle has resumed its role as the reference frame

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    When it comes to Europe’s COVID-19 recovery and its aspiration to build back a more resilient society, the so-called green and digital transitions have dominated EU policy discussions. And as Eurofound made preparations for the 2022 Foundation Forum – a unique occasion for high-level debate on the s

    11 marts 2022
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    While the number of employees earning the minimum wage has increased across Europe over the last decade, spurred by significant minimum wage hikes, a clear gender divide emerges, with minimum wage earners more likely to be women. Minimum wage earners are also more likely to live in materially depriv

    26 oktober 2021
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    Following the declines in employment rates and working hours across Europe in 2020, economies began to show signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. The gradual rekindling of economic activity has led to a surge in demand for workers and reawakened concerns over labour shortages. Difficul

    20 juli 2021
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    Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.

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    On 9 May, the Conference on the Future of Europe will get underway. Floated well before the COVID-19 outbreak, its timing in the wake of the seismic shifts precipitated by the pandemic, and its implementation alongside the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, means that the outcomes could b

    4 maj 2021

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