What we do

 SAVE THE DATE! Our 3rd Flagship Conference “Building Social Europe” will take place on 17 September 2020 in Berlin, Germany

Our conference will take place back-to-back with the EU German Presidency Conference on upward social convergence which takes place the day before.

Focus:

To be aligned with some of the priorities of the EU German Presidency conference, this year’s Flagship Conference will focus on two main topics:

• adequate minimum wages and adequate minimum income
• quality, available, affordable and accessible services.

Context:

The third Flagship Conference is taking place after the buzz of the European elections and the formation of the new European Commission last year. Now we are entering into a period of action and deliveries after many promising statements by EU leaders. This year, we are expecting the European Commission to launch the process of an action plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights. This is our opportunity to ensure that our voices are heard and that the principles of the Pillar are starting to materialise into legislation and policies which can create better working and living conditions for all in Europe.

 Target audience:

Around 100-120 participants, 50% from Germany / 50% from other parts of Europe. The conference aims to bring together representatives from national and EU institutions, European and national civil society organisations, social partners, grassroots activists, academics and public authorities.

 Format and content:

Our one-day conference will consist of:

• High-level round table with EU institutions, national governments and civil society

As our conference take place the day after the German EU Presidency conference on upward social convergence, we begin with a high level round table featuring key influencers of the EU agenda, including representatives of the European Commission as well as former, current and upcoming EU Presidencies. Social Platform will present its policy positions and asks on adequate minimum wages and adequate income and we will hear the views of the EU and national representatives on the EU ambition on these topics.

• Panel debate on income/wage

This panel will bring together representatives from civil society organisations, social partners, persons with personal experience of poverty and social exclusion and grassroots activists. They will comment on whether the presented EU ambition on minimum wages and minimum income, presented during the high-level round table with EU institutions, national governments and civil society in the morning of the flagship conference, fits the needs on the ground. They will also debate what is needed in more concrete terms to implement the EU ambition at national level, discuss main criteria indispensable for ensuring adequate minimum wages and adequate minimum income schemes and issue key recommendations in this regard.

• World cafe on services

This part of the conference will be an opportunity for our European networks and their national members to show case their inspiring initiatives and projects, exchange practices and knowledge and learn from each other on how to achieve quality, available, affordable and accessible services.

• Exhibition

The “Made in Social Europe” exhibition will showcase projects that civil society organisations from across our membership are already delivering on the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights on the local and national level.

• Networking dinner with the participants of the Presidency conference

We are working on securing an opportunity for our conference participants to dine and network at a joint dinner with the participants of the EU German Presidency conference on upward social convergence on the evening of 16 September.