Dated Monday 3 May, the provisional version of the declaration to be adopted at the Porto Social Summit makes some changes and clarifications compared to the one of 23 April (see EUROPE 12708/15).
For example, the section on anti-discrimination, which in the previous version explicitly mentioned women, now only mentions discrimination in its introduction. On the other hand, it is clearly stated that Member States commit themselves to combating gender gaps in pension and pay. The draft declaration also emphasises the promotion of gender equality, where the previous version cited the promotion of equality alone.
It should also be noted that references to the green and digital transition have been moved from the first paragraph, which lays the foundation for the declaration, to the third paragraph of the text dedicated to the new 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan.
Instead, the first paragraph states that Europe must be the “continent of social cohesion and prosperity”.
Another example is paragraph 11 on youth, in which an explicit reference to the European youth mobility programme Erasmus+ has been added. Finally, the monitoring of social progress, mentioned in paragraph 12, will now take place “at the highest [political] level”.
The text will be discussed again by the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper II) on Wednesday 5 May.
The Social Summit in Porto will start on Friday 7 May. The highlight of the event will be the following day, when European leaders will be present, although some, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will not be attending physically. The EU27 will ultimately adopt this declaration, which aims to give new impetus to the European pillar of social rights.
To view the 3 May version: https://bit.ly/3efZ6g4
For the 23 April version: https://bit.ly/3vw2kSF (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)