European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR, German: Europäische Säule sozialer Rechte) is an initiative of the European Commission. The EPSR is intended to launch comprehensive reforms of the European labour markets and social systems. The 27 Member States and the UK are committed to common minimum standards, including fair wages, unemployment assistance and reasonable pensions in a declaration made at a summit in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017.

History

The initial preliminary draft of the EPSR was published by the European Commission in March 2016. This was followed by a consultation process with the Member States, authorities, social partners and citizens of the EU: the consultation process was officially concluded with a high-ranking Commission conference in Brussels on 23 January 2017.[1]

Contents

The EPSR contains a preamble and 3 chapters with target values for 20 fields:

  • Chapter I: Equal opportunities and access to the labour market

(general education, professional training and lifelong learning, gender equality, equal opportunities, active support for employment)

  • Chapter II: Fair working conditions

(secure and adaptable employment, wages, information about employment conditions and protection in the event of dismissals, social dialogue and involvement of workers, work-life balance, healthy, safe and well-adapted working environments and data protection)

  • Chapter III: Social protection and inclusion

(childcare and support for children, social protection, unemployment benefits, minimum income, old age income and pensions, healthcare, inclusion of people with disabilities, long-term care, housing and assistance for the homeless, access to essential services)

The EPSR is intended to act as a reference document of sorts, by means of which the labour markets and social standards in the Member States may approach the standards defined in the Pillar in the long term.[2]

Further development

In March 2018, the Commission proposed the establishment of a European Labour Authority as a specific measure to implement the EPSR and to enable self-employed workers to access social security.[2]

Criticism

Whether and in what form the EPSR will actually be implemented remains to be seen. While the initiative was generally welcomed, there was also considerable criticism. The Member States fear a shift in competences to the benefit of the EU and/or European Commission and therefore insist on compliance with the principle of subsidiarity.

The Member States are not under any obligation to implement the EPSR.[3]

Several governments are concerned that it will put an additional burden on national state budgets (e.g. through higher social benefits). Trade unions maintain that the initiative does not go far enough,[4][5][6] while employer associations criticise that the EPSR would make the EU less competitive.[7]

References
  1. European Pillar of Social Rights: Commission prepares next steps towards European Pillar of Social Rights, accessed on 5 February 2018.
  2. Streit um EU-Standards Wirtschaftlich einig, sozial gespalten. (Dispute on EU standards: Economically unified, socially divided). In: Spiegel online. 13 March 2018, accessed on 18 March 2018.
  3. Proklamation der Europäischen Säule Sozialer Rechten. (Proclamation of a European Pillar of Social Rights.) In: eur-info No. 03. Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Confederation of German Employers' Associations), 15 December 2017, accessed on 18 March 2018.
  4. European pillar of social rights (Memento of the original dated 6 February 2018 in Internet Archive), site of the European Trade Union Confederation on the EPSR, accessed on 5 February 2018.
  5. The social summit in Gothenburg – A new EU with a more social face, page of the German Trade Union Confederation, accessed on 5 February 2018
  6. Ein besseres Europa für die ArbeitnehmerInnen: eine stärkere Säule sozialer Rechte (A better Europe for employees: a stronger pillar of social rights), accessed on 5 February 2018.
  7. ESSR: Gelingt der EU-Kommission der große sozialpolitische Wurf? (EPSR: Will the EU Commission succeed in this big social policy move? In: Makronom. 17 January 2017 (Online [accessed on 19 February 2017]).
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