EU priorities: Working for a strong social Europe
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:
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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
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
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- Blog: New impetus to collective bargaining: Insights from the ECS
- Publication: Living, working and COVID-19
- Publication: Access to care services: Early childhood education and care, healthcare and long-term care
- Publication series: Minimum wages in the EU
- Blog: Is history repeating itself? The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on youth
- Publication series: European Jobs Monitor
- Survey: European Company Survey 2019: Overview report
- Publication series: European Company Surveys
- European Industrial Relations Dictionary: European Semester
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
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- Publication: Scenarios for platform work in the digital age
- Data: Platform economy repository
- Blog: The COVID-19 recovery needs a green, social, digitally skilled Europe
- Blog: How to use the surge in teleworking as a real chance to include people with disabilities
- Blog: COVID-19 unleashed the potential for telework – How are workers coping?
- Publication: Telework and ICT-based mobile work: Flexible working in the digital age
- Pilot project: Future of manufacturing in Europe (FOME)
- Event: Flexible working in the digital age - Is everyone a winner? - Webinar
- Publication series: New forms of employment
- Publication series: European Jobs Monitor
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
Eurofound topics linked with this EU priority
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Other related content:
- Blog: The COVID-19 recovery needs a green, social, digitally skilled Europe
- Blog: Racial discrimination is not a thing of the past in the EU
- Publication: How your birthplace affects your workplace
- Blog: Europe – a world-class place to live and work?
- Publication: Concept and practice of a living wage
- Publication: Challenges and prospects in the EU: Quality of life and public services
- Publication series: European Quality of Life Surveys
Priority 4: A European Green Deal
Striving to be the first climate-neutral continent. This priority includes the following initiative:
- 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’
Eurofound topics linked with this EU priority
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Other related content
- Blog: The COVID-19 recovery needs a green, social, digitally skilled Europe
- Publication: Employment implications of the Paris Climate Agreement
- Blog: Europe’s low-carbon transition makes economic sense
- Pilot project: Future of manufacturing in Europe (FOME)
Priority 5: A stronger Europe in the world
Europe to strive for more by strengthening our unique brand of responsible global leadership. This priority includes the following initiative:
Eurofound content linked with this EU priority
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- Publication: Working conditions in a global perspective
- Publication: Life and society in the EU candidate countries
- Blog: Europe – a world-class place to live and work?
- About Eurofound: Stakeholders and partners
- Publication series: European Working Conditions Surveys
- Publication series: European Quality of Life Surveys
Priority 6: A new push for European democracy
Nurturing, protecting and strengthening our democracy. This priority includes the following initiatives:
- New Gender Equality Strategy, published on 5 March 2020
- Proposal on pay transparency, presented by the Commission on 4 March 2021
- Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021–2030, adopted by the Commission on 3 March 2021
- Green paper on ageing
- Review of the urban agenda for Europe
- Long-term vision for rural areas (2021)
Eurofound topics linked with this EU priority
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- Blog: Choosing to challenge – the EU Gender Equality Strategy one year in
- Blog: COVID-19: A tale of two service sectors
- Publication: Women and labour market equality: Has COVID-19 rolled back recent gains?
- Blog: Are simple statistics enough? On the benefits of gender pay reports and audits
- Blog: Tentative growth in trust shows COVID-19 has not yet torn the social fabric of Europe
- Blog: COVID-19 fallout takes a higher toll on women, economically and domestically
- Publication: Upward convergence in the EU: Definition, measurement and trends
- Data: EU convergence monitoring hub
- Publication: Societal change and trust in institutions
- Publication: Is rural Europe being left behind?
- Publication: What makes capital cities the best places to live?
- Publication: Improving the monitoring of posted workers in the EU
- Publication series: Challenges and prospects in the EU
- Publication series: European Quality of Life Surveys
Further reading
- See the full list of topics covered in Eurofound research
- European Commission: 6 Commission priorities for 2019–2024
- Publication: Priorities for a new Europe
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