In mid-July 2026, the European Commission published a new Communication on the European Pillar of Social Rights. This long-awaited initiative details how it plans to deliver on the Pillar and reach – or ideally exceed – its headline 2030 social targets. Much progress is needed, especially on poverty reduction. Indeed, the EU is significantly lagging behind on its goal to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 15 million, of which 5 million children. By 2025, the EU had recorded a decrease of only 3.5 million compared to 2019, with the figure of children remaining broadly unchanged.
The Social Package published in May 2026 – including the crucial EU Anti-Poverty Strategy – announced several measures that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people across Europe. Social Platform had called for action on some of the policy areas covered, including a strengthening of the European Child Guarantee, action on in-work poverty and housing exclusion, access to services, structured dialogue with people experiencing poverty and the organisations that represent them and, of course, the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy itself. However, most announced measures are legally non-binding, and we have been pointing out significant lack of progress with soft law initiatives in the past. Moreover, the Package did not go far enough to fully address our calls for policy guidance and sufficient funding needed to effectively tackle poverty across Europe.
The publication of a second Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights would have been an opportunity to fill these gaps. Social Platform published its detailed recommendations for the Action Plan in May 2025 ahead of its preparation. Unfortunately, the 2026 recommitment to the Pillar does not take the form of an action plan per se, and it falls short of the ambition needed to strengthen social rights across Europe. Instead, it groups upcoming initiatives under three new priorities: affordability and the cost-of-living; AI and the future of work; and inequalities, fairness and equal opportunities.
Below is an overview of our recommendations which have been picked up and those that remain overlooked.
What is there?
First, the Communication reminds the EU headline targets on employment, education and poverty reduction and lists several upcoming actions: an update of the job quality monitoring framework, a consultation on a possible new target on job quality beyond 2030, the upcoming Quality Jobs Act as well as, as announced in the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, new poverty-related indicators. It also briefly summarises the implementation and delivery of the previous plan.
The second chapter summarises the changed social and employment context. In terms of future actions, it reiterates a first consultation of EU social partners on potential EU action on activation of persons facing significant barriers to employment, the upcoming Affordable Housing Act, the future European Care Deal and a new monitoring report on the Minimum Wages Directive.
Next, the Communication addresses specifically the topic of AI in the context of the future of work, a new focus subsequent to the publication of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its first Action Plan. It announces a High-level Experts Group to examine the potential impact of AI on the labour market and potential future activities for the responsible adoption of Algorithmic Management tools and practices in the workplace. Moving to the topic of inequalities, fairness and equal opportunities, it announces future support for implementing the Pay Transparency Directive, a stock-tacking exercise on socio-economic inequalities and social mobility as well as guidance on inclusive hiring package. It reiterates the Education Package and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Strategy, upcoming Strategies for Outermost regions and the Right to Stay as well as priorities for the upcoming EU Youth Strategy post-2027.
What is missing?
While these measures are welcome, the Communication does not announce – notably – any binding measure to bring forward the implementation of the EU headline targets, which would have been crucial, considering the above-mentioned gaps.
With regards to strengthening quality employment, Social Platform had indeed called for a quality jobs target to be included in the Quality Jobs Act. It is key that the consultation leads to such a target to be implemented at national level. We had also advocated for a European Job Guarantee, which regrettably has not been included. This initiative would help improve the availability of decent work and reduce involuntary, long-term unemployment by creating a safety net of publicly funded employment. Finally, the European Commission also missed the opportunity to make the Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) instrument permanent and to strengthen mental health at the workplace by foreseeing an EU directive on psychosocial risks and a directive on telework and the right to disconnect.
With regards to reducing poverty, Social Platform has for many years called for ensuring adequate minimum income through an EU directive, a call that remains unheard. We had also advocated for a comprehensive just transition policy framework that anticipates and manages changes in the world of work, including a Just Transition Directive that supports workers during transitions. However, this aspect has slid down the agenda. Furthermore, we had encouraged the Commission to provide more support for social economy actors and service providers, to put forward an EU Strategy or Action Plan on Mental Health including psychosocial risks at work, and a framework for Universal Basic Services. See all of our proposals here.
What is next?
Social Platform and our network will continue working with EU institutions and policy-makers for strong implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, its headline targets and the Action Plan. We remain a partner in working towards filling existing policy and legislative gaps and ensuring a stronger Social Europe for all.
