For three decades, Social Platform has united voices across Europe to turn the goal of a fair and inclusive society into action. From bold campaigns to landmark victories, our journey is one of perseverance, solidarity, and hope. This timeline celebrates the moments that shaped a stronger Social Europe, proof that when people come together, we can transform policies, protect rights, and create a future where everyone can thrive.
19 European organisations come together with a common focus on advancing social change to form the network that would become ‘Social Platform’.
Social Platform plays ‘indispensable’ role in milestone EU event that gathers 1,000+ representatives of NGOs, social partners and European institutions to discuss social rights.
With the adoption of the Amsterdam Treaty that embeds employment and anti-discrimination into EU law, Social Platform expands its role and impact, securing key bi-annual meetings with the EU Commission as a leading voice on social rights.
From inputting into the new 5 year European Social Agenda adopted at the Nice Summit, to successfully campaigning to strengthen EU Directives on race equality and employment, Social Platform continues to build its influence. Attends informal Social Affairs Council meetings for the first time.
Social Platform leads successful campaigns to ensure meaningful engagement of social NGOs in policy processes including the Lisbon Strategy, the Future of Europe Convention and the Strategy for Sustainable Development.
In its role representing both service users and service providers, Social Platform successfully advocates for the European Commission’s Green Paper on services of general interest to reflect concerns and views of its members.
Social Platform advances the views of its members in the Lisbon Strategy mid-term review, presenting unified positions at high-level meetings, mobilising NGOs in relation to this important policy area and providing regular briefings and meetings.
As Europe faces significant social challenges in the midst of economic crisis, a major battle in the fight for equality is won. Following years of pushing by Social Platform to expand the anti-discrimination law, the European Commission adopts a proposal for a new directive for equal treatment in access to services on the basis of age, sexual orientation, disability and religion.
Together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Environment Bureau (EEB) and Concord, Social Platform launched the Spring Alliance to challenge the economic paradigm of the EU and excessive de-regulation, helping to enable a massive civil society mobilisation to influence the EU’s overarching strategy for the
next ten years.
Strong and persistent advocacy leads to the inclusion of poverty reduction as a headline target in the Europe 2020 Strategy—placing social goals alongside economic ones.
Social Platform is invited to attend the Informal EPSCO council meetings on equal footing with social partners and member states for
the very first time.
Social Platform’s advocacy helps shape and launch the EPSR, 20 principles guiding decision makers towards a Europe with fair working conditions, social protection, and equality.
With European Parliament elections putting the spotlight on EU priorities, Social Platform made implementing Social Pillar principles . Showcasing inspiring stories from service providers, social economy enterprises, self-advocates and human rights defenders, our ‘Made in Social Europe’ exhibition was displayed eight times in six different EU Member States, turning digital in 2020.
The only civil society organisation to sign the EU’s Porto Declaration, Social Platform cements its influence in shaping social policy
at the highest level.
Leading a joint campaign with the ETUC and allies in the European Parliament, Social Platform helped secure the adoption of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. Setting a framework to ensure adequate statutory minimum wages, the directive has the potential to play a key role in tackling in-work poverty and reinforcing social dialogue across Europe.
Leading 2 campaigns on minimum income and civic space, Social Platform secures MEP pledges from all main EU political parties and all EU member states. Social Platform signs the Declaration on the Future of Social Europe at the La Hulpe High Level Conference, reaffirming the European Pillar of Social Rights as the EU’s social policy guide for 2024–2029.
Social Platform celebrates three decades of advocacy, collective action and social progress in Europe! In 2025 Social Platform continues to take steps forward for a stronger social Europe, including successfully advocating for a stronger social dimension of the European Semester process.
