Ahead of the Autumn package, Eurodiaconia is publishing today its new report “Promoting Shared Prosperity in the European Semester – Taking stock of the 2021 cycle and launching the 2022 Semester”, presenting the network’s five social priorities for a fair and inclusive transition.

The European Semester is the European Commission’s framework for the coordination of economic policies across the European Union and we expect the so-called autumn package to be published at the end of November to launch the 2022 European Semester cycle.

The 2021 European Semester has been an exceptional cycle, focusing on the recovery of the COVID-19 crisis and introduced a number of changes to the usual procedure. These changes made civil society involvement this time close to impossible. Effective reform, though, needs the involvement of civil society; in particular, social services providers should be consulted, as they are at the forefront of the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Through their services, they are in direct contact with beneficiaries, many of whom belong to the most vulnerable groups in our societies, and they can therefore provide evidence-based guidance on the necessary measures.

We have, however, continued to gather input from our members on a wide range of policy topics, including in-depth exchanges on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on their services and service beneficiaries. They have been at the forefront in supporting people throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Through their daily work, they have been contributing to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) from the onset on. Their expertise and experience place them in a position to identify the most significant challenges facing society and to analyse the degree to which public policies allow for the successful implementation of the EPSR in the regions and countries in which they operate.

Based on this expertise we have taken stock of the 2021 Semester cycle and formulated our key social priorities for the 2022 European Semester:

  • Strengthening social services as key partners in the recovery
  • Investing in long-term care services
  • Reducing child poverty by building on the Child Guarantee
  • Providing targeted support to young people, especially NEETs
  • Fighting poverty, especially its most extreme forms

We invite you to read our report here to find out more about our social priorities for the 2022 European Semester.