On Thursday 16 November, MEPs voted by 386 to 102, with 51 abstentions, to adopt the own-initiative report by Javi López (S&D, Spain) calling for policies to be put in place to address inequality at European level and in the member states.
On the eve of the Gothenburg social summit (see other article), MEPs wanted to send a message to the member states and the European Commission. In a long own initiative report of 45 pages, MEPs call for, inter alia: - European policy coordination to tackle inequalities, underlining the need to channel investment towards territorial cohesion; - a stronger welfare state and social protection, calling on the Commission to propose European framework which includes the recommendations of the International Labour Organisation on universal access to healthcare, security of income and arguing for universal access to affordable housing; - poverty, including child poverty, and social exclusion to be addressed; - genuine gender equality, calling on the Commission to bring forward initiatives to tackle the wage gap; - modernising taxation to combat tax evasion and fraud.
“The best way to promote inclusive and sustainable growth in the EU is to tackle inequalities”, said the rapporteur at the vote, making the point that the labour market is no longer a source of prosperity and security and highlighting that millions of people in the EU live at the risk of poverty and social exclusion. In his view, the EU needs to rebalance its economic policies “in order to build a true European social dimension”.
This social dimension will exercise the minds of the member states at the Gothenburg social summit on Friday 17 November, the high point of which will be the official adoption, at a signing ceremony, of the inter-institutional Pillar of Social Rights (see other article). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)