EU priorities: Working for a strong social Europe

08 März 2021

In June 2019, the European Council adopted its new Strategic Agenda for 2019–2024, setting out the main priorities to guide the work of the EU in the coming years. The von der Leyen Commission took office on 1 December 2019, setting out plans in its first work programme for a transition to a fair, climate-neutral and digital Europe. It outlined six top priorities, also reflecting the main priorities for the European Parliament and those in the Council’s Strategic Agenda.

European Council: A new strategic agenda for the EU 2019–2024
European Parliament: Priorities
European Commission: Communication and Annex on a Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions

As part of the priorities outlined by the Commission, a number of initiatives were set in motion in 2020 and others planned for 2021, as shown below. While these priorities remain valid, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Commission adjusted its work programme in May 2020 to prioritise actions needed to support the EU’s recovery. EC President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her first State of the Union 2020 address on 16 September, focusing on the EU's response to COVID-19, as well as priorities around the European Green Deal and digital strategy. This was followed on 19 October by the adoption of the Commission’s 2021 work programme, designed to make Europe healthier, fairer and more prosperous. The 2021 programme outlines new initiatives across all six priorities aiming to move from strategy to delivery.

European Commission: 2021 Commission work programme – key documents
European Commission: Adjusted Commission Work Programme 2020 - Annex I: New initiatives (PDF)
European Commission: State of the Union 2020

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:

Working conditions and sustainable work Key topic	Industrial relations and social dialogue Key topic	Employment and labour markets Key topic

Living conditions and quality of life Key topic	Anticipating and managing the impact of change Key topic	Promoting social cohesion and convergence Key topic

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

Working for social fairness and prosperity. This priority includes the following EU initiatives:

Fair minimum wages, proposing an EU Directive on adequate minimum wages on 28 October 2020
Reinforced Youth Guarantee, launching the Youth Employment Support package on 1 July, including a Council Recommendation on 'A bridge to jobs - Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee'
European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, presented by the Commission on 4 March 2021
European Child Guarantee (2021)

Eurofound topics linked with this EU priority

Minimum wage Topic	Gender equality Topic	Job creation Topic	Youth Topic

Care Topic	Social protection Topic	European Pillar of Social Rights Topic	COVID-19 Topic

Priority 2: A Europe fit for the digital age

Empowering people with a new generation of technologies. This priority includes the following initiatives:

Industrial policy focusing on job creation, launching a new industrial strategy for Europe on 10 March 2020 (to be updated 2021)
SME strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe, adopted on 10 March 2020
Revised Skills Agenda for Europe, adopting the new European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience on 1 July 2020
Platform work proposal (2021), aimed at improving the working conditions of platform workers
Europe’s digital decade - 2030 digital targets (2021), roadmap for areas such as connectivity, skills and digital public services

Eurofound topics linked with this EU priority

Digital age Topic	Platform work Topic	New forms of employment Topic	Skills and training Topic

Teleworking Topic	Small and medium-sized enterprises Topic	Job creation Topic

Priority 3: Promoting our European way of life

Building a Union of equality in which we all have the same access to opportunities. This priority includes the following initiatives:

Revised Skills Agenda for Europe, adopting the new European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience on 1 July 2020
New pact on migration and asylum, presenting a proposal on 23 September 2020 to the European Parliament and Council