On 17 November, the European Commission celebrated the fifth anniversary of the ‘European Pillar of Social Rights’ and its achievements. The Pillar, initiated by former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, had been adopted by EU leaders on 17 November 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Porto Summit in May 2021 subsequently reaffirmed these commitments. And more than 130 initiatives have been proposed under the Pillar, says a statement.
EU governments have thus approved the EU’s social objectives for 2030 set out in the Action Plan on the Pillar presented in March 2021 (at least 78% of the population aged 20-64 should be employed, at least 60% of adults should participate in training activities each year and the number of people at risk of poverty or exclusion should be reduced by at least 15 million, of which at least five million children, compared to 2019).
The ‘Skills Pact’, which brings together companies, training providers and chambers of commerce, “now has 1,000 members and has already collected commitments to contribute to the training of six million people”, the statement added.
Member States have also adopted EU Council recommendations on micro-certifications and individual training accounts. The Commission has also proposed to make 2023 the European Year of Skills.
The Commission has also put forward initiatives on gender equality and equal treatment of LGBTIQ people and the rights of people with disabilities. Another success was the Directive on adequate minimum wages, which will be in force in two years’ time.
For the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, “the Pillar is now the reference standard for social rights”, but the work is far from “finished to make Europe more inclusive, fairer and richer in opportunities”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)