The European Commission’s 2020 edition of the “Employment and Social Developments in Europe” (ESDE) review, titled “Leaving no one behind and striving for more: fairness and solidarity in the European social market economy”, was published earlier this month.
It explains why social fairness and solidarity is more important than ever. The review provides evidence-based analysis on how to achieve greater fairness across the EU in the face of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and of long-term challenges arising from structural change due to demographic ageing, climate change and digitalisation.
The review notes that the COVID-19 pandemic is having profound health, economic, employment and social effects, threatening much of the progress that the EU had achieved previously. All Member States are experiencing a greater economic shock than in 2008-2009. Economic output has contracted sharply and unemployment is on the rise. The most vulnerable persons, including Europe’s youth, are hit particularly hard.
That is why Eurodiaconia continues to emphasise the importance of enforcing all the 20 principles enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). Thus, as one concrete outcome of the European Commission’s ongoing public consultation on the implementation of the EPSR, Eurodiaconia joins the call for the adoption of an EU Framework Directive on Adequate Minimum Income as a cornerstone of the upcoming action plan to raise the living and working conditions of millions of people currently experiencing poverty or social exclusion.
To know more about our recommendations on adequate minimum income, have a look at our recently updated policy paper.
To read the full text of the Commission’s 2020 edition of “Employment and Social Developments in Europe”, please visit their website.