Key legislative proposals have been adopted by the Council which help to underpin the minimum social standards of a successful and equitable EU-wide single market. Detailed and ambitious work programmes have been drawn up in areas like free movement and work organisation. These are areas in which people now accept the value of a common European debate, of even closer co-operation and of the exchange of information and best practice. The dialogue with the social partners continues to evolve while the civil dialogue with representatives of civil society is emerging as a stronger, more authoritative voice than ever before. Yet for all this, we must not forget that the EU still faces serious social challenges.
Unemployment remains high.
We must get more young people, women and long-term unemployed into work. At the same time we are striving to overcome the EU's skills gap, to increase people's employability and to encourage greater mobility of labour. There are huge changes too in the world of work. Globalisation and the emerging information society are transforming our working patterns, our work organisation, the demand for skills. The factor that will make the difference in terms of people's experience in this fast-moving and challenging environment is adaptability.