Europe’s social model – The key to competitive growth – Background paper

This background paper outlines the context for the issues to be examined at Eurofound’s Foundation Forum 2025. As the global order proves to be increasingly volatile, the European Union itself is undergoing a profound transformation in terms of its socioeconomic and geopolitical landscape. Enhancing competitiveness and ensuring sustainable economic growth are now at the top of the EU agenda. The Forum provides an opportunity to explore these priorities against the backdrop of the European social model, at the heart of which lie a set of fundamental social objectives. An integral element of the model is a commitment to improve job quality for workers. The rapid progress made in AI technologies is already having an impact on the labour market and it remains to be seen how this will evolve further. Social investment is also crucial – economic progress should serve to promote more equal societies in which all citizens have access to housing, social protection and decent living standards. We hope that these topics will form the basis for lively and insightful debates at the Forum.