Fomento de la cohesión social y la convergencia

Mensajes políticos clave

Las principales conclusiones de la investigación de Eurofound sirven de referencia para que los responsables políticos aborden algunas de las cuestiones clave en este ámbito.

• La convergencia económica y social sostenible es esencial para la estabilidad duradera de Europa y requiere un enfoque europeo integrado.
• Una actuación económica y social divergente entre los Estados miembros pone en riesgo la prosperidad compartida y la existencia de condiciones de vida y de trabajo dignas, por lo que resulta fundamental realizar un seguimiento de las tendencias de convergencia en la UE y aplicar políticas para evitar divergencias.
• Antes de la pandemia de COVID-19, Europa había experimentado seis años de crecimiento económico ininterrumpido, amortiguando los efectos negativos de la crisis de 2008 y registrando una convergencia al alza en ámbitos como el empleo y el riesgo de pobreza. Pero no todos los Estados miembros se beneficiaron por igual y las disparidades regionales se incrementaron.
• Se corre el riesgo de que la pandemia aumente aún más las desigualdades entre los Estados miembros y entre los grupos socioeconómicos. Pondrá a prueba la resiliencia económica y social de los Estados miembros frente al riesgo de divergencia económica y social en la Unión Europea. Tales disparidades crecientes también pueden afectar a la estabilidad de la UE y subrayan la necesidad de aplicar el pilar europeo de derechos sociales en su totalidad y de comunicar claramente estas medidas a la ciudadanía de la UE.
• Mantener la confianza de la ciudadanía en las instituciones nacionales y europeas debe seguir siendo un objetivo fundamental en tiempos de crisis, ya que el cumplimiento de las medidas de control de la pandemia depende en gran medida de los niveles de confianza en las instituciones y las recomendaciones de la comunidad científica. El incremento en los niveles de confianza en las instituciones observado entre las personas encuestadas que se beneficiaron de medidas de apoyo también envía un mensaje claro a las administraciones nacionales y a la UE.

During 2021–2024, Eurofound will provide an important insight into the challenges and prospects in the area of social cohesion and convergence in the EU, helping to ensure its economies and societies are resilient to future shocks. Eurofound will expand on its work from previous years on the upward convergence theme, with particular emphasis on the potential rise of new inequalities among citizens and how to address the increased challenges to social cohesion brought about by the crisis. The Agency will report regularly on trends in upward convergence in the socioeconomic dimension, as well as in the dimensions outlined in the European Pillar of Social Rights at Member State and regional levels, while also comparing the EU with other developed countries.

In exploring the drivers and implications of economic and social convergence, Eurofound will pay attention to a range of factors: social investment, mobility and institutional frameworks, regulation, welfare systems, institutional quality and public services, social dialogue and structural reforms. The research will examine the effectiveness of the EU’s response to the pandemic for economic and social convergence. It will also consider the situation in the euro area, as well as focusing on the role of industrial relations processes in influencing convergence.

Eurofound will investigate the trends and drivers of social cohesion in the European Union, in particular examining how the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated existing inequalities or triggered new ones affecting society more broadly or specific groups of citizens. The analysis will focus on economic, social and health disparities, both in the labour market and in terms of access to and quality of crucial goods and services such as healthcare, housing, education and social protection. The link between inequalities, institutional trust and discontent will be studied. Other areas of interest include migration, integration and societal tensions.

The research results emerging from this activity will contribute to the work of the different services of the European Commission and the Employment Committee (EMCO), the Social Protection Committee (SPC), the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), the Council and the European Parliament, including in relation to the European Semester.

Eurofound’s research aims to assist policy action to support sustainable upward economic and social convergence, to reduce multidimensional inequalities and to develop initiatives to strengthen social cohesion, helping to address the challenges facing the EU and national levels brought about by COVID-19. By investigating the pandemic recovery programmes at European level and their effect on economic and social convergence, Eurofound aims to inform policymakers on ways to promote convergence and the effectiveness of various initiatives. Research on social cohesion is intended to advance the debate on ways to promote policies towards a fairer and more inclusive society.

The Agency’s work programme is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a strong social Europe. In particular, the research links in with the EU objective of sustainable economic and social convergence and will seek to support the debate on the European Pillar of Social Rights, its implementation and monitoring role, as well as on the reform of Economic and Monetary Union. Findings on trust can contribute to the initiatives regarding the Future of Europe debate.

• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: An economy that works for people
• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: Promoting our European way of life
• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: A new push for European democracy

In 2024, Eurofound continues to study upward convergence towards better working and living conditions and stronger economic and social cohesion. The focus is on the potential rise of new inequalities and how to explain and address the increased challenges to the social cohesion of the EU brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Eurofound continues to report on the latest trends in and drivers of upward convergence in the socioeconomic dimension by updating and maintaining its dashboard of indicators and by providing regular annual updates at Member State and regional level.

Building on previous work on income inequalities and on the middle classes, research concludes on trends in this area, shedding light on the impact of the increased cost of living on different income groups, including the middle class, and households.

Eurofound provides new evidence on the role of human capital in inequalities across the EU, in particular its role in ensuring social cohesion and convergence. Alongside exploring stocks and flows of human capital across Member States, the study offers an insight into the role of education as a driver of economic and social convergence. 

New evidence also sheds light on the emerging challenges and opportunities arising from the high inflow of Ukrainian refugees to the EU, focusing on integration efforts at EU and national level, as well as the impact on public services.

A new project on the role of digitalisation complements Eurofound’s work on convergence and inequalities. This research analyses the long-term trends in the uptake and usage of digital technologies by EU citizens and the progress made by Member States in fulfilling the targets set in their recovery and resilience plans. It also assesses if digitalisation is a driver of economic and social convergence in the EU, with a focus on income, employment and poverty.

Building on previous work in 2019 and drawing on newer data, Eurofound aims to identify changes in overall wealth distribution during recent years and produce a more detailed account of the size and composition of the population with no or negative wealth, and of the asset composition of the wealth quintiles.

New research also examines the dynamics of social cohesion, polarisation in perceived trust in institutions and satisfaction with democracy in Europe. This analysis explores social developments that can lead to tensions, withdrawal or radicalisation, and the main dimension of the polarisation in European societies over the last decade. Looking at the 2024 European elections, the research investigates new forms of inclusive participation and their possible effect on polarisation.

• Data: Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey
• Resource: EU convergence monitoring hub