On Wednesday 24 April in Strasbourg, MEPs discussed the La Hulpe conference on the future of European social policies and the Declaration signed on this occasion by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU on behalf of 25 Member States, the European Parliament, the European Commission and several European social partners, with the exception, among others, of the employers’ organisation BusinessEurope (see EUROPE 13392/19).
For the most part, they called on European leaders and the next Commission to build on the achievements of the 2019-2024 legislature and the implementation of the Pillar on Social Rights, agreed in Gothenburg in 2017.
Welcoming the progress made under this legislature, such as the directives on an adequate minimum wage and on workers on digital platforms, or the European disability card, the elected representatives nevertheless stressed the need to do even more, for example on increasing the coverage of workers through collective bargaining, calls for tender and public procurement, as suggested by Dennis Radtke (EPP, German).
Sylvie Brunet (Renew Europe, French) also welcomed major steps forward, such as the European ‘SURE’ instrument to support short-time work schemes, legislation on transparency in remuneration and parity on boards of directors. But “we still have many challenges”, she added, such as “the fight against extreme poverty, fair mobility and mental health”, particularly in the sphere of digital work.
MEP Agnes Jongerius (S&D), who will not be standing for re-election, felt that despite the progress made, “we have not gone far enough”. She also warned of the need to protect the most vulnerable at a time when “we are always trying to deliver at the lowest cost”.
Speaking on behalf of the Greens/EFA group, Belgian MEP Sara Matthieu warned her fellow MEPs that the current emphasis is on competitiveness, but “you don’t want a competitive Europe based on a social graveyard”. The La Hulpe Declaration “calls for social progress”, she added.
“A key element in the attractiveness and competitiveness of our continent lies precisely in its unique social characteristics, in our commitment to equal opportunities for all, and in ensuring that no one is left behind”, commented Mathieu Michel, Belgian Secretary of State for Digitisation. “Continuing our efforts towards a genuine social Europe is not an option, it is a necessity. It is a key factor in Europe’s prosperity, geopolitical weight and standing on the world stage. Investing in human capital and social protection is a sine qua non for Europe’s competitiveness and resilience”, he said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)