On Wednesday 27 March, Member States’ ambassadors to the European Union will discuss the ‘La Hulpe Declaration’, which is due to be adopted on 15 and 16 April in La Hulpe at a conference dedicated to the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The aim of this event is to “bring together policymakers, stakeholders and experts to deliberate on possible avenues to consolidate the Pillar’s principles and ensure their further implementation in the years to come”, states the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council in a preparatory note seen by Agence Europe.
The main output of the conference is expected to be the adoption of an interinstitutional Declaration on the Future of the European Pillar of Social Rights, intended to prepare the social agenda for the next legislative cycle and “reconfirm the Pillar as the EU social policy compass”.
The Declaration is expected to be signed by representatives of the Belgian Presidency, on behalf of the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Social Partners and the Social Platform to “ensure the broadest possible support among all relevant actors”.
A first draft Declaration, which was circulated to delegations on Monday 18 March, is organised around nine main chapters, including the commitment to the European Social Model, fair working conditions, strengthening social dialogue and access to social protection.
On the commitment to the European social model, the text underlines the “steadfast resolve [...] in the pursuit of a European Social Union, aiming to foster a just transition to climate-neutrality, to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and to create opportunities and social progress for all, building on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the European Social Charter and the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work”.
This is followed by a chapter on EU welfare states that have been able to withstand crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. “Emergency instruments agreed at Union level such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) supported Member States in implementing the Pillar principles via concrete labour market and social policy measures”, reads the draft declaration.
Faced with the transitions underway, “we reaffirm the importance of guaranteeing the right of everyone to access services of general interest of good quality, including social services and essential services, which are crucial for social and territorial cohesion”, the draft text goes on to say.
The future declaration will also put forward a number of proposals for legislative initiatives, such as “renewed action to tackle gender segregation and close the gender gaps on the labour market, including the gender pension gap”. And furthermore: “We call for necessary measures to ensure that pre-existing gender inequalities are not replicated in emerging industries, by increasing women’s participation in male-dominated sectors, as well as by encouraging men to enter sectors with a predominantly female labour force”, such as care.
Housing action plan
As for the progressive proliferation of platform work, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic management on workplace dynamics, “EU legislation, including legislation on working time and on the information and consultation of employees, may require updates to better align their provisions to the digital age, such as telework, the right to disconnect and the working conditions in platform work, incorporating the ‘human in control’ principle for artificial intelligence in the world of work and regulating algorithmic management”.
The text also mentions the further steps needed to digitalise social security. And it calls for the development of a European action plan for accessible, sustainable and affordable social housing to eradicate homelessness by 2030. It also mentions “increased access to European funding in the fight against homelessness”. See the draft declaration of 18 March and the note from the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council: https://aeur.eu/f/bir; https://aeur.eu/f/bit (Solenn Paulic)