European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights (the Social Pillar) is an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2017. The Social Pillar delivers new and improves existing social rights for people across Europe, and serves as the EU’s compass to achieve better working and living conditions in Europe.

It consists of 20 principles to support fair and well-functioning labour markets and welfare systems, divided into three chapters:

  • Equal opportunities and access to the labour market
  • Fair working conditions
  • Social protection and inclusion

The full list of principles is available here.

With the COVID-19 pandemic having far-reaching social and economic repercussions across the EU, implementing the Social Pillar’s principles has never been more important. Only an ambitious community response with a clear focus on protecting the most vulnerable and recognising the need to strengthen social protection systems will suffice for our collective recovery. Read more in our COVID-19 statement, and learn about the real life impact that the Social Pillar can have in our video:

Watch Social Platform’s video about the need for a meaningful implementation of the Social Pillar here.

Making sure that the Social Pillar’s goals become reality is a shared responsibility between the EU institutions and EU Member States. Together, they monitor how the principles are put into practice through the ‘Social Scoreboard’ – a tool that tracks trends and performances in different thematic areas across EU countries.

The Social Pillar’s principles impact the lives of all people living and working in the EU, including those in vulnerable situations. Social Platform’s members recognise the Social Pillar’s great potential, and are advocating for a comprehensive implementation approach encompassing four areas:

Implementing the Social Pillar

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Legislation & Policies

Social policies are a shared competence between the EU and Member States. This means the EU - albeit with some...

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Good Governance

Good governance of the EU's social and economic policies has proven to be a powerful instrument to push forward...

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Investing in People

The Social Pillar is the EU's chance to build strong, cohesive societies - but its success will depend on adequate...

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Involving Civil Society

Heads of State and Government represent the whole population of their country, members of national parliaments...