Will the Council finally tackle the unsustainable social situation in the EU?
Four years after the start of the Europe 2020 Strategy, its failures are becoming more undeniable every day: poverty in the EU has increased by 10 million in 5 years to 124 million; income inequalities have risen with the top 20% having earned 5.1 times as much as the bottom 20% in 2012; and the unemployment rate has increased sharply from 7.1% in 2008 to 10.9% in 2013. This was pointed out again in the European Commission's Communication Tacking stock of the Europe 2020 Strategy, published on March 5.
At the next European Spring Council, the Heads of State and government will take stock of Europe 2020 and will give guidance on its Mid-term Review. They will also give guidance to member states on the 2014 National Reform Programmes (NRPs). This is why we are calling on them to take the necessary decisions to rectify the current situation and to reinstall the social dimension of the Europe 2020 strategy.
Member states should therefore:
- Ensure a strong social dimension to economic governance through ex-ante coordination of fiscal, economic and social policies and reforms.
- Steer the Mid-term Review towards the embedding of ambitious EU strategies for combating poverty, inequalities and unemployment in Europe 2020.
- Provide guidance on true civil and social dialogue, in particular in the context of the NRPs and the Mid-term Review.
The Europe 2020 Strategy is at a turning point and actions should be taken to address the social situation in the EU. This should be the top priority for the Council meeting on March 20-21.
Read Social Platform's letter to the European Council of March 20-21
2014-03-14
