COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights
Date: 2018-03-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU initiative, European social policy, economic and social cohesion, euro area, social dialogue, social rights, social security, socioeconomic conditions, welfare

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 13.3.2018 COM(2018) 130 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights {SWD(2018) 67 final}  
 
 
1. Introduction 

In  his  State  of  the  Union  Address  on  9  September  2015,  President  Juncker  proposed  the 
establishment  of  a  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights1,  which  would  take  account  of  the 
changing realities of Europe's societies and developments in the world of work.  

Following a broad public consultation in 2016, which involved citizens, social partners, civil 
society, Member States and EU Institutions,2 the European Pillar of Social Rights was jointly 
proclaimed  by 
the  Commission  on  
17 November 2017 at the Gothenburg Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth.3 

the  European  Parliament, 

the  Council  and 

The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  is  designed  as  a  compass  for  a  renewed  process  of 
upward  convergence  towards  better  working and  living  conditions  in  the  European  Union.  
It sets out twenty essential principles and rights in the areas of equal opportunities and access 
to the labour market; fair working conditions; and social protection and inclusion.  

The European Council of 14 December 2017 endorsed the conclusions of the Social Summit 
and underlined that the European Pillar of Social Rights should be implemented at both 
Union  and  Member  State  level,  with  due  regard  to  their  respective  competences.  It  also 
invited the Commission to propose appropriate monitoring.4 This Communication responds to 
that request and outlines a way forward. 

1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union/european-pillar-
social-rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en 
2  On  8  March  2016,  the  Commission  presented  a  first  outline  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  and 
launched  a  public  consultation.  The  Commission  received  more  than  16,500  online  replies  and  nearly  200 
position  papers.  The  consultation  culminated  in  a  concluding  Conference  "Going  Forward  Together"  on  
23  January  2017.  As  part  of  the  consultation,  the  European  Parliament  adopted  a  Resolution  on  the  Pillar  on  
19  January  2017  (2016/2095(INI).  The  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  adopted  an  opinion  on  
25 January 2017 (SOC/542-01902-00-01-ac). The Committee of the Regions adopted an Opinion on 11 October 
2016 (CDR 2868/2016).  
3 http://www.socialsummit17.se/ 
4  The  European  Council  of  14  December  2017  underlined  the  following:  "The  Social  Summit  in  Gothenburg 
recalled  the  need  to  put  people  first,  to  further  develop  the  social  dimension  of  the  Union  based  on  a  shared 
commitment  and established competences, and  to  promote  convergence  through  efforts at  all levels,  including 
 by social partners. As a first step the following should be taken forward: implementing the European Pillar of 
Social  Rights  at  Union  and  Member  State  level,  with  due  regard  to  their  respective  competences;  
the Commission is invited to propose appropriate monitoring (…)."  

1 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
2. Taking forward the European Pillar of Social Rights 

The establishment of the European Pillar of Social Rights is part of the broader debate about 
the  future  of  Europe,  which  was  launched  by  the  Commission's  White  Paper  of  
1 March 2017.5 The question of how to strengthen and modernise the European social model 
in  the  face  of  fundamental  changes  –  such  as  new  technologies,  globalisation  and 
demographic ageing – is one of the key questions put forward by the White Paper, as well as 
in the Commission's Reflection Papers on the social dimension of Europe6 and on harnessing 
globalisation.7 

At  their  Summit  in  Rome  to  mark  the  60th  anniversary  of  the  EU,  Leaders  reiterated  their 
commitment to a social Europe.8 In this broader debate, the European Pillar of Social Rights 
is both a milestone in building and consolidating social Europe, and a reference point on the 
road  to  Sibiu,  where  EU  Leaders  will  meet  in  May  2019  to  draw  conclusions  on  the  EU's 
future, ahead of the next European Parliament elections.  

Delivering  on  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  has  always  been  conceived  as  a  shared 
political  commitment  and  responsibility.  EU  Institutions,  Member  States,  public 
authorities, social  partners  and  civil  society  organisations at  all  levels  have  a  crucial  role  to 
play, in line with their competences.  

At  EU  level,  the  Commission  is  fully  committed  to  mainstreaming  the  priorities  of  the 
European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights in  all  EU  policies. It  has  already  started  to  make  use  of 
existing  tools  and  processes  to  that  effect,  and  it  has  also  presented  several  dedicated 
initiatives within the framework of EU competences, some of which remain to be adopted by 
the EU co-legislators.  

The Commission is also committed to supporting Member States, social partners and civil 
society  organisations  in  the  implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  at 
national,  regional  and  local  level.  A  staff  working  document  published  alongside  this 
Communication  recalls  the  legal  framework,  the  respective  roles  of  the  national  and  EU 
levels, as well as the action already taken on each of the principles of the European Pillar of 
Social Rights.9  

Monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  is  essential  for 
ensuring  tangible  progress  on  the  ground.  With  this  Communication,  the  Commission 

5 COM(2017) 2025. 
6 COM(2017) 206. 
7 COM(2017)240. 
8 In the Rome Declaration, on 25 March 2017, EU Leaders declared: "In these times of change, and aware of the 
concerns of our citizens, we commit to the Rome Agenda, and pledge to work towards: … A social Europe: a 
Union  which,  based  on  sustainable  growth,  promotes  economic  and  social  progress  as  well  as  cohesion  and 
convergence, while upholding the integrity of the internal market; a Union taking into account the diversity of 
national systems and the key role of social partners; a Union which promotes equality between women and men 
as  well  as  rights  and  equal  opportunities  for  all;  a  Union  which  fights  unemployment,  discrimination,  social 
exclusion and poverty; a Union where young people receive the best education and training and can study and 
find jobs across the continent; a Union which preserves our cultural heritage and promotes cultural diversity." 
9 SWD (2018) 67..  

2 

 
 
 
                                                            
proposes,  as  a  complement  to  initiatives  already  taken  and  still  to  come  at  EU  level,  to 
strengthen the monitoring of implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights in 
the European Semester of policy coordination. This can be done: 
the  priorities  of 

the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights   

reflecting 

‣  by 

in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national level;  

‣  by  providing 

technical  assistance,  supporting  benchmarking  and  promoting  

the exchange of good practices among Member States and stakeholders;  

‣  and by screening employment and social performances on the basis of the new Social 

Scoreboard, thus supporting the broader process of upward convergence. 

3. Implementing the Pillar at EU level 

Social priorities have been at the core of this Commission's agenda since it took office in 
2014.  The  content  and  ambition  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  build  on  a  large 
number  of  initiatives  in  the  employment  and  social  field  that  have  been  rolled  out  by  this 
Commission in recent years, notably10:  

‣ 

‣ 

the promotion of a New Start for Social Dialogue, which reflects the Commission's 
commitment to work closely with social partners at all levels;  
the  proposal  for  a  European  Accessibility  Act,  which  aims  to  improve  the 
functioning  of  the  internal  market  for  accessible  products  and  services  by  removing 
barriers created by divergent legislation and thus facilitate the work of companies and 
bring benefits for disabled and older people in the EU; 

‣  a  proposal  for  a  Directive  to  improve  transparency  and  predictability  of  working 
conditions, which improves the information of workers about their rights and, at the 
same time, establishes new minimum requirements to improve working conditions; 
the  revision  of  the  Posting  of  Workers  Directive,  which  anchors  the  principle  of 
"equal  pay  for  equal  work  at the  same  place",  thus  establishing  a  level  playing  field 
and preventing unfair competition within the internal market;  

‣ 

‣  new  proposed  legislation  to  modernise  the  coordination  of  social  security  systems, 
which,  in  particular,  helps  ensure  that  workers  who  make  use  of  their  right  to  free 
movement do not lose their social security rights;  

‣  a  proposal  for  a  Directive  on  Work-Life  Balance  for  Parents  and  Carers  to 
modernise  the  existing  legal  framework  by  introducing  paternity  and  carers'  leave, 
strengthening  parental  leave  and  extending  the  right  to  request  flexible  working 
arrangements; 
the  Action  Plan  to  tackle  the  gender  pay  gap  2017-2019  which  includes  a  set  of 
activities to address its root causes;  the review of the various pieces of legislation in 
the  field  of  occupational  safety  and  health,  which  updates  and  complements  the 
provisions  that  protect  workers  against  work-related  health  risks,  including  exposure 
to carcinogens;  

‣ 

10  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/betapolitical/files/social_dimension_of_europe_ 
overview_of_initiatives_en.pdf  

3 

 
 
 
                                                            
‣  various actions to  ensure  timely access to affordable, preventive and curative  health 
care  of  good  quality  including  the  European  Reference  Networks  which,  since  last 
November,  provide  people  with  rare  diseases  with  access  to  diagnosis  and 
treatment across the EU. 
the  strengthening  and  roll-out  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  to  help  young  people  to  get 
quickly into employment, education or training;  
the launch of a broad set of initiatives under the New Skills Agenda, which seeks to 
equip more people with better skills; 

‣ 

‣ 

‣  various initiatives to promote access to high-quality and inclusive education, training 
and lifelong learning, as part of the move towards a European Education Area; 
In  the  field  of  education  and  training,  the  Commission  aims  at  more  ambitious 
targets for the share of low achievers and early-school leavers, and is considering new 
ones as regards digital competences and entrepreneurship11. 

‣ 

Among the 22 legal acts proposed since November 2014 in the employment and social field, 
10  have  been  adopted  and  12  remain  to  be  agreed  by  the  Council  and/or  the  European 
Parliament.  As  reflected  in  the  Joint  Declaration  between  the  European  Parliament,  the 
Council  and  the  Commission,  the  priority  for  the  coming  months  will  be  to  conclude  on 
pending legislative files and to focus on delivery and implementation of the new initiatives 
on the ground.  

In addition, the  Commission has mainstreamed social  priorities across  the  board, fully 
acknowledging the social dimension of everything it does. This includes:  

‣ 

the  European  Semester  of  policy  coordination,  where  the  Commission  has  put 
greater focus on social priorities and put them on a par with economic objectives at the 
core of the annual cycle of economic governance, with this year's cycle also reflecting 
for the first time the priorities of the European Pillar of Social Rights;12  

‣  under  Cohesion  Policy,  social  priorities  are  widely  supported  by  the  European 
Structural and Investments Funds in areas such as access to the labour market, social 
inclusion  and  education.  Other  funding  programmes  and  instruments  like  the 
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and the Fund for European Aid to the Most 
Deprived support people affected by the restructuring of companies or at risk of severe 
material deprivation; 
the  Investment  Plan  for  Europe  ("Juncker  Plan"):  social  infrastructure  and 
equipment  as  well  as  strategic  investments  in  social  enterprises  can  be  financially 
supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments;13 

‣ 

11 COM (2017) 673 final.  
12  Cf.  2018  Annual  Growth  Survey  (COM(2017)  690  final)  and  the  Communication  on  the  assessment  of 
progress on structural reforms, prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth 
reviews (COM(2018) 120).  
13 The EFSI already supported such projects for an expected total investment value of over EUR 10.5 billion. In 
the EFSI infrastructure and innovation window, 18 social infrastructure projects have already been approved and 
are expected to mobilise a total of over EUR 6 billion in investments. These include the construction, expansion 
or  refurbishment  of  schools  and  universities,  clinics  and  hospitals,  and  affordable  social  housing  in  the 
community. In the EFSI small and medium-sized enterprises window, the total expected investment mobilised in 

4 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
‣  under the Energy Union, the package proposed by the Commission on "Clean energy 
for all Europeans" puts a major focus on the consumer and steps up efforts to ensure 
that the clean energy transition is socially fair and no one is left behind. In addition, 
the package sets out a new approach to protecting vulnerable consumers, which also 
includes  helping  Member  States  reduce  the  costs  of  energy  for  consumers  by 
supporting  energy  efficiency  investments.  This  has  also  led  to  the  creation  of  a 
European Energy Poverty Observatory; 

‣  under the Digital Single Market, the Commission set out connectivity objectives for 
2025  to  help  make  high  capacity  broadband  available  to  society  as  a  whole,  paying 
particular  attention  to  areas  lagging  behind  such  as  rural  and  remote  areas,  with  a 
strong focus in parallel on developing digital skills. It also seeks to promote free Wi-Fi 
connection  for  citizens  and  visitors  in  public  spaces  through  its  WiFi4EU  initiative.  
In  addition,  the  proposed  European  Electronic  Communications  Code  contains 
provisions  to  ensure  the  affordability  of  electronic  communications  (including 
broadband) as part of a universal service;  
in the field of transport policy, the mobility package 'Europe on the Move' is a wide-
ranging   set  of  initiatives  that  will  inter  alia  ensure  proper  working  conditions. 
Moreover,  the  EU  is  currently  revising  passenger  rights  legislations  to  ensure  that 
persons with reduced mobility have the same access to transport services as all other 
passengers; 
the  Commission  proposed  a  revision  of  the  Directive  on  the  quality  of  drinking 
water,  which  will  improve  access  for  all  people,  especially  for  vulnerable  and 
marginalised groups; 

‣ 

‣ 

‣  under the taxation agenda, the Commission  has put forward a number of initiatives 
aimed  at  restoring  the  fairness  of  the  EU  tax  system  by  ensuring  that  all  companies 
pay their fair share of taxes where profits are generated;14  

‣  via  its  trade  policy,  the  EU  promotes  core  fundamental  labour  standards  agreed  at 
international  level:  freedom  of  association,  the  right  to  collective  bargaining,  non-
discrimination,  the  fight  against  child  labour  and  forced  labour,  labour  inspection, 
health  and  safety  and  work  and  decent  work  conditions.  Social  issues  are  also  key 
aspects  of  the  sustainability  impact  assessments  carried  out  for  all  trade  agreements 
along with economic, human rights and environmental impacts;  
the new European Solidarity Corps is enabling young people, with a particular focus 
on less privileged young persons, to take part in solidarity activities and help address 
societal  needs  across  Europe,  which  also  allows  them  to  develop  their  own 
competences and skills; 

‣ 

the  social  sector  amounts  to  EUR  4.5  billion.  Recently,  the  EFSI  doubled  the  firepower  of  the  European 
Programme for Employment and Social Innovation for microfinance and social entrepreneurship.  

14 Examples are the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, the Directive on the automatic exchange of information on 
tax  rulings  and  advance  pricing  arrangements,  the  Directive  on  country-by-country  reporting  concerning 
multinationals and the proposal to re-launch the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base. 

5 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                          
 
‣ 

in the event of Stability Support Programmes, the practice has been established since 
the  case  of  Greece  in  2015  to  make  sure  that  these  are  accompanied  by  a  social 
impact assessment.  

Moreover,  convergence  towards  better  socio-economic  outcomes,  social  resilience  and 
fairness, as promoted by the European Pillar of Social Rights, is an essential part of the efforts 
to  strengthen  and  complete  the  Economic  and  Monetary  Union,  as  recalled  in  the  Five 
Presidents Report of June 201515 and subsequent Commission proposals.16 

Graph  1  below  gives  an  overview  of  the  various  ways  in  which  the  Commission  has  been 
mainstreaming social priorities across the board:  

Graph 1. Key initiatives under this Commission in the employment and social field 

In  this  context,  the  establishment  of  the  Pillar  has  been  a  key  driver  to  update  and 
complement EU legislation, wherever necessary. In addition to what has been done so far, 
the Commission is presenting another set of initiatives alongside today's Communication, as 
summarised in box 1. 

15 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/five-presidents-report-completing-europes- 
economic-and-monetary-union_en 
16  On  6  December  2017  the  Commission  presented  a  Communication  on  "Further  Steps  Towards  Completing 
Europe's Economic and Monetary Union: A Roadmap" (COM(2017)821). 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
Box 1. The new "Social Fairness Package" presented on 13 March 2018 

The  present  Communication  is  accompanied  by  a  new  Social  Fairness  Package,  adopted  by  the 
Commission on 13 March 2018.  

First,  the  Commission  is  proposing  to  establish  a  European  Labour  Authority,  complementing 
previous  initiatives  to  improve  the  rules  for  the  posting  of  workers  and  the  coordination  of  social 
security  systems.  Free  movement  is  one  of  the  most  cherished  freedoms  of  the  internal  market, 
benefitting  individuals,  economies  and  societies  as  a  whole.  Today,  an  extensive  body  of  EU 
legislation is in place to ensure fair mobility but what matters is that these rules are effectively applied 
on the ground. In this context, the role and added value of the Authority will be to:  

(a) facilitate access for individuals and employers to information on their rights and obligations as well 
as to relevant services;  

(b)  support  cooperation  between  Member  States  in  the  cross-border  enforcement  of  relevant  Union 
law, including facilitating joint inspections; 

(c)  mediate and facilitate a solution in cases of cross-border disputes between national authorities or 
labour market disruptions. 

To assist with the preparation and establishment of the Authority, the Commission is also setting up an 
advisory group, bringing together key stakeholders. 

Second, the Commission is proposing a Council Recommendation on access to social protection for 
workers  and  self-employed,  which  builds  on  a  consultation  of  EU  Social  Partners  and  aims  to 
encourage Member States to ensure that everyone who works can contribute and have adequate access 
to social protection, such as unemployment or sickness benefits. Today, about 60% of people work on 
full-time,  permanent  contracts.  However,  an  increasing  share  of  people  work  on  other  types  of 
contracts, including part-time or temporary contracts, or are self-employed. This trend may give rise to 
inequalities  and  social  risks  if  these  workers  do  not  have  sufficient  access  to  social  protection.  The 
Commission examined the option of proposing a Directive to address this issue but, given the diversity 
of  situations  and  limitations  of  the  legal  framework  to  take  action  at  EU  level,  it  considers  that  a 
Council Recommendation is the appropriate way forward to steer progress at national level, ensure a 
level-playing field, and support upward convergence. 

Finally,  the  Commission  is  working  on  developing  a  European  Social  Security  Number,  which  is 
meant  as a digital identifier to make existing systems interoperable. Millions of tourists and persons 
who travel, live and work in another EU country could prove easily that they are covered at home, and 
get  quicker  and  easier  access  to  the  benefits  to  which  they  are  entitled,  knowing  that  their  personal 
data  will  be  fully  protected.  This  would  facilitate  the  portability  of  rights  across  borders,  allow  for 
real-time identification and verification of coverage, and also reduce risks of errors and fraud resulting 
from  the  use  of  paper  documents.  It  would  simplify  the  work  of  administrations  at  all  levels.  This 
initiative is part of the 2018 Commission Work Programme: in line with Better Regulation principles, 
the  Commission  is  engaging  with  Member  States  and  stakeholders  and  will  come  forward  with  an 
initiative later this year. 

7 

 
 
 
For the further implementation of the Pillar at EU level, the Commission will continue 
to  make  full  use  of  all  existing  tools  at  its  disposal.  The  use  of  these  tools  will  vary, 
depending  on  the  policy  area  and  the  principles  of  the  Pillar  and  reflecting  the  nature  and 
extent  of  competences  at  EU  level.  They  include  updating  and  complementing  existing 
legislation, as set out above, improving the enforcement of EU law in the Member States, and 
supporting  social  dialogue  across  the  EU,  in  addition  to  monitoring  progress  under  the 
European Semester.  

This  also  applies  to  relevant  financial  support  through  EU  funds,  notably  the  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds,  Erasmus+  and  other  relevant  programmes.  In  its  recent 
Communication on "A new, modern Multiannual Financial Framework for a European Union 
that delivers efficiently on its priorities post-2020"17, the Commission calls for the EU budget 
to  deliver  on  the  promises  made  by  Leaders  at  the  Gothenburg  Social  Summit  and  further 
develop the social dimension of the Union, including through the full implementation of the 
European Pillar of Social Rights.18 The Commission underlined that adequate resources will 
be  required  to  improve  employment  opportunities  and  address  skills  challenges,  including 
those  linked  to  digitisation.  Detailed  proposals  for  the  post-2020  EU  Multiannual  Financial 
Framework will follow in spring 2018. 

4. Implementing the Pillar at national level  

Most of the competences and tools required to deliver on the European Pillar of Social 
Rights are in the hands of local, regional and national authorities, social partners as well 
as civil society. While the EU has an important role to play in supporting Member States, the 
responsibility  for  implementing  the  Pillar  lies  -  to  a  very  large  extent  -  with  the  Member 
States,  at  various  levels  of  government  and  administration.  Moreover,  social  partners  at  all 
levels have a crucial role to play in implementing the Pillar in accordance with their autonomy 
in  negotiating  and  concluding  agreements.19  Respect  for  the  diversity  of  national  industrial 
relations  systems  as  well  as  the  autonomy  of  social  partners  is  explicitly  recognised  by  the 
TFEU.  Over  the  years  the  Commission  has  invited  Member  States  to  give  social  partners  a 

17 COM(2018) 98 final. 
18 The Commission stressed in the Communication: "The next Multiannual Financial Framework should better 
align  available  financing  with  our  political  priorities.  It  should  build  on  what  works  well  today  while  also 
anticipating the challenges of tomorrow. In line with the Rome Declaration, the budget should enable a Europe 
that is safe and secure. A Europe that is prosperous and sustainable. A Europe that is social. And a Europe that 
is stronger on the global scene." The Commission also underlined: "The EU budget will need to deliver on the 
promises  made  by  Leaders  at  the  Gothenburg  Social  Summit.  This  means  further  developing  the  social 
dimension of the Union, including through the full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and 
supporting young people and the mobility of European citizens". 
19 A recent example for social partner action is the Autonomous Framework Agreement they agreed on 8 March 
2017  on  Active  Ageing  and  the  Inter-generational  Approach.  An  example  for  a  Social  Partners  Agreement, 
which  has  been  implemented  in  EU  law  is  the  Council  Directive  (EU)  2018/131  of  23  January  2018 
implementing the Agreement concluded by the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) and the 
European  Transport  Workers'  Federation  (ETF)  to  amend  Directive  2009/13/EC  in  accordance  with  the 
amendments  of  2014  to  the  Maritime  Labour  Convention,  2006,  as  approved  by  the  International  Labour 
Conference on 11 June 2014. 

8 

 
 
 
                                                            
 
greater role in  the employment and social  field, as  their involvement is instrumental for the 
ownership  of  reforms.  Non-governmental  organisations,  notably  when  they  provide  social 
services, are also of critical importance to mobilise and deliver on the Pillar. 

By expressing essential principles and rights, the European Pillar of Social Rights serves 
as  a  guide  towards  efficient  outcomes  in  the  employment  and  social  field.  There  are  no 
one-size-fit-all solutions and the Pillar captures the diversity of national situations. Although 
Member States often face common challenges and share similar problems, the solutions they 
need  to  develop  are  bound  to  vary.  This  is  due  to  the  diversity  of  their  national  systems, 
traditions, different starting points and their specific socio-economic situations.  

The  current  economic  context  provides  a  window  of  opportunity  to  promote  inclusive 
growth, to modernise the EU social market economy and to invest in people, in line with 
the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights.  The  EU's  economy  is  continuing  its  expansion  at  a 
robust  pace.20  More  than  9  million  additional  jobs  have  been  created  since  the  start  of  the 
autumn  of  2014,  when  this  Commission  started  its  mandate.21  The  unemployment  rate  is 
steadily  decreasing  and  at  its  lowest  level  since  2008.  The  number  of  people  employed  has 
reached 236.3 million in the EU, the highest level ever recorded. However, there are still 18 
million  people  unemployed  in  the  EU,  household  income  is  still  below  the  2008  level  in  a 
number of Member States and many social challenges remain, particularly when considering 
the pace and scope of ongoing developments – from digitisation to ageing. There are also still 
large disparities in situations among and within Member States.  

Priorities  will  necessarily  vary  and  the  European  Semester  is  an  opportunity  for 
Member  States  to  make  progress  with  and  report  on  the  delivery  of  the  Pillar.  The 
Country  Reports  published  recently  in  the  context  of  the  2018  European  Semester  cycle22 
outline  the nature and extent of challenges at  national level to  work towards  better working 
and  living  conditions,  fairer  and  better-functioning  labour  markets,  improved  education  and 
training  systems  to  equip  people  with  appropriate  and  relevant  skills,  and  social  welfare 
systems that are both sustainable and adequate. The National Reform Programmes, expected 
from Member States in April, will  set out renewed priorities and further concrete actions at 
national  level.  These  programmes  will  be  the  basis  for  Country-Specific  Recommendations 
that  the  Commission  will  propose  later  in  spring  2018.  In  parallel,  the  Commission  will 
continue  to  work  with  Member  States  to  ensure  that  available  EU  funding  is  well  used  in 
support of structural reforms or to invest in people, in line with the priorities identified in the 
Country Reports and Country-Specific Recommendations. 

20 See the Winter 2018 Economic Forecast of the European Commission:  
https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-performance-and-forecasts/economic-
forecasts/winter-2018-economic-forecast_en  and  the  Quarterly  Report  on  Economic  and  Social  Developments: 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8063.  
21 The majority of these newly created jobs can be considered as of "good quality": 78% of the newly created 
jobs since 2014 Q3 are permanent and 88% of them are full-time. 
22  Communication  on  the  assessment  of  progress  on  structural  reforms,  prevention  and  correction  of 
macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth reviews (COM(2018) 120)). 

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5. Monitoring the implementation of the Pillar  

The  European  Semester  of  policy  coordination  provides  an  appropriate  tool  for 
monitoring  progress  in  key  areas  covered  by  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights.  
The  European  Semester  is  based  on  in-depth  analysis,  specific  to  the  situation  of  each 
country: it acknowledges the diversity of challenges and the need to prioritise in the light of 
different starting points and available means across countries. The European Semester is also 
the way to structure collective efforts over time: it builds on in-depth dialogue and reporting 
throughout the year, which is transparent and open to all actors, and it is used in particular to 
structure  peer  reviews  and  benchmarking  among  Member  States.  Building  on  the  progress 
achieved  in  recent  years  to  strengthen  the  social  dimension  of  the  European  Semester,  the 
Commission  has  started  to  fine-tune  existing  tools  and  working  methods  to  reflect  the 
European Pillar of Social Rights since it was proclaimed. This does not require fundamental 
changes or the creation of new instruments, or additional administrative burden on the side of 
Member States. 

A  more  thematic  follow-up  will  also  be  required  to  cover  the  depth  of  the  various 
principles  of  the  Pillar  and  to  review  effective  follow-up  and  take-up  on  the  ground. 
Regular  EU  publications  –  such  as  the  annual  Joint  Employment  Report  and  the  Report  on 
Employment  and  Social  Developments  –  will  be  used  to  study  specific  issues  in-depth.  EU 
agencies  active  in  the  field23  will  also  be  tasked  with  developing  in-depth  reporting  for  the 
principles falling more squarely within their responsibilities. In turn, EU-level social partners 
and  civil  society  organisations  may  decide  to  focus  more  deeply  on  certain  principles  of 
particular interest to them. 

As part of the European Semester, three new elements will be added to help monitor the 
implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights: 

‣  Mainstreaming the priorities of the Pillar in the European Semester while selecting 
themes for detailed reporting on an annual basis: the principles and rights enshrined in 
the  Pillar  will  be  taken  into  account  throughout  the  European  Semester  in  monitoring, 
comparing  and  assessing  the  progress  made.  At  the  same  time,  some  specific  themes 
pertaining  to  the  Pillar  will  be  highlighted  for  a  detailed  assessment  every  year.  This 
applies  notably  to  the  Annual  Growth  Survey  (issued  in  November),  which  sets  out 
economic  and  social  priorities  at  EU  level,  and  the  Country  Reports  (issued  in 
February/March), which form the basis for further country-specific guidance. The choice 
of  themes  will  be  made  in  consultation  with  all  actors,  and  notably  the  relevant 
committees representing the Member States. 

‣  Providing  technical  assistance,  promoting  benchmarking  and  exchanging  good 
practices:  the  European  Semester  offers  a  forum  for  dialogue  with  stakeholders, 
exchanging  experience  and  strengthening  mutual  learning  among  Member  States, 

23 The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop); the European Foundation for the 
improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound); the European Agency for Safety and Heath at Work 
(EU-OSHA); the European Training Foundation (ETF). 

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with  a view to  supporting upward  convergence towards the best performers. The bodies 
that deal with employment and social policy issues under the European Semester, such as 
the  Employment  Committee  and  the  Social  Protection  Committee,  have  already  started 
work on the benchmarking  of policy convergence. In  addition, in  its Communication on 
"Further  steps  towards  completing  Europe's  Economic  and  Monetary  Union:  a 
Roadmap"24,  the  Commission  suggested  that  ongoing  work  in  the  Council  and  in  the 
Eurogroup on the benchmarking of policies should be reinforced. Moreover, in addition to 
the financial support provided through the European Structural and Investment Funds, the 
Commission's Structural Reform Support Service has stepped up its offer of tailor-made 
support for institutional, administrative and policy reforms.25  

‣  Assessing and monitoring performances with the help of the new Social Scoreboard: 
together  with  its  proposal  for  the  Pillar,  the  Commission  presented  a  new  Social 
Scoreboard.  Its  role  is  to  help  screen  the  performances  of  Member  States  in  the 
employment  and  social  field  along  the  various  dimensions  of  the  Pillar.  It  was  used,  
for the first time, to  help inform and deepen the analysis in the 2018 Joint Employment 
Report and the indicators were used to back up the analysis of the 2018 Country Reports. 
While they do not exhaust the discussion on the monitoring on the Pillar, they shed useful 
light  on  the  situation  on  the  ground,  allowing  for  comparisons  over  time  and  across 
countries. The Scoreboard and its statistical underpinnings will be further developed with 
the support of Member States. 

24 COM(2017) 821 final. 
25  Since  2015,  the  SRSS  has  been  implementing  close  to  500  projects  of  technical  support.  Examples  of  such 
projects  in  the  social  field  include:  (i)  supporting  the  implementation  of  a  guaranteed  minimum  income;  (ii) 
supporting  the  design  and  implementing  of  integration  policies  for  migrants  and  refugees;  (iii)  improving 
disability  assessment  systems  and  the  services  for  people  with  disabilities;  (iv)  improving  the  design  and 
implementation of active labour market policies; (v) supportive the reform of special education. 

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Box 2. The new EU Social Scoreboard26 

6. Conclusions 

For decades, the European Union has helped deliver increasing prosperity and social fairness. 
Today,  Europe  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  to  live  in  the  world.  However,  the 
economic  and  social  crisis  of  the  last  decade  has  had  a  far-reaching  impact  on  our  social 
fabric, which questioned the essence of our social market economy. 

As Europe has turned the page of the crisis, it is time to look to the future, to match the speed 
of changing realities and to tackle the broader socio-economic challenges confronting Europe, 
so as to renew and sustain our economic and social models.  

26 For more information on the Social Scoreboard, see:  
https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/social-scoreboard/# 

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By  making  clear  what  Europe  stands  for,  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  expresses 
principles  and  rights  that  are  essential  for  social  progress  for  the  benefit  of  citizens  and 
societies alike, and which provides a compass for further action. 

The  commitments  taken  by  EU  Leaders  at  the  Gothenburg  Social  Summit  are  part  of  a 
broader agenda to build the future of the European Union at 27. Delivering on the European 
Pillar  of  Social  Rights  and  making  it  a  reality  for  all  Europeans  is  a  shared  responsibility. 
Governments,  social  partners  and  non-governmental  organisations,  local,  regional  and 
European Institutions are ready and committed to contribute to this endeavour. 

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