European Affairs Office signs open letter 'Reinforcing Social Europe'
Last Updated: 25 November 2020
by Abriel SCHIEFFELERS
The European Affairs Office attended a conference in Stuttgart in March on the topic of "The European Pillar of Social Rights: What has Changed so Far?" The conference was attended by members of European civil society, from trade unions and church related organisations, from 9 EU member states.
As a result of the conference, the civil society organisations present signed an open letter to the European Institutions regarding the implementation of the European Pillar of Social RIghts.
The open letter called for social rights to be understood as a fundamental principle of European society, including the following:
- "No one is left behind" has to find application not only to EU citizens but to all persons residing in the EU (whether undocumented, refugees, or simply non-EU citizens)
- That these principes are transformed into rights based on the rule of law
- That the involvement of civil society as a driver for change and value creator in the field of social inclusion and innovation is acknowledged
- That more significant indicators for monitoring the social progress such as the UN-SDG indicators are added
Regarding the question "what has changed so far?" the attendees took note of legal and administrative initiatives on EU level, but hardly saw any impact on persons who are vulnerable, who are threatened by poverty, or who are working in precarious conditions. Instead, increasing imbalances in living standards across the EU have been observed. Engagement should therefore not only be focused on developing action plans, but also on ensuring that support reached the persons who need it most.