ROLE OF THE EPSR IN THE EU ARCHITECTURE AND ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

 

  • Introducing strong social conditionality linked to all forms of public funding and support to business (including in connection with a strong EU industrial policy) to promote quality jobs, collective bargaining, improved working conditions, quality training… This should be included also in the financial rules governing the use of EU funds (for all funds, both from the EU budget and those generated off-budget).
  • Revising the EU public procurement rules to ensure that public money goes to organisations (and their subcontractors) that respect workers’ and trade union rights, that negotiate with trade unions and whose workers are covered by collective agreements.
  • Establish a Social Progress Protocol, to be included in the Treaties, to guarantee that workers’ and social rights take precedence over economic freedoms in case of a conflict.
  • Guaranteeing a stronger role for the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Treaties and in the EU institutional framework linking the achievement of its principles with the objective of a “social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress” to rebalance the economic governance instruments and to ensure strong welfare states.
  • Rejecting a return to failed austerity policies. Ensuring a revision of economic governance rules that includes the termination of the EU Fiscal Compact and the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact to align it with the achievement of the rights included in the European Pillar of Social Rights. Integrating the EPSR in the EU Economic Governance, building on article 148 TFEU, to rebalance macroeconomic boundaries. It is key to ensure the necessary fiscal space for MSs to finance the investments for a fair twin transition and to invest in social polices implementing the EPSR and achieving the Porto’s Targets by 2030. In this respect, the current discussion about the EU Economic Governance Review is crucial. All the MSs should have the possibility to invest in social policies and infrastructures. It is key to implement a new fiscal capacity for investment, an EU sovereignty fund for just socio-economic transition and common goods, leaving no one and no region behind.
  • In the framework of the revision of the economic governance rules, ensuring that when evaluating the risk position related to debt and deficit, the Commission and the Council should take in due account situation of employment, wage dynamics, poverty, social exclusion and other relevant social objectives of the economic governance. The social dimension of the economic governance is completed by requests to introduce the principle of fair and progressive taxation and protect public pensions expenditure to fulfil the principle of “ageing in indignity”.
  • The work on the Social Convergence Framework (SCF) during the current EU-term has been a major step forward in order to anchor the social domain better in the European Semester, to better monitor social imbalances within the EU and to foster upward convergence. It continues the process of “socialization” of the European Semester and fiscal rules, giving a legal/operative leg and more relevance to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Nevertheless, it must be enshrined in the EU economic governance architecture.
  • Ensuring a timely and effective role of social partners at EU and National level at milestones of the European Semester, building on the recent Recommendation on Strengthening Social Dialogue.
  • Ensuring that the MFF and its implementation are more consistent with EU social objectives in the post-pandemic and transitioning phase faced by the EU.
  • Demanding that all trade partners recognise and respect ILO fundamental standards at work and other internationally recognised norms. This is not only an issue of policy coherence within and without the EU, but also a necessary contribution to upholding the multilateral system and ensure a level playing field.
  • Ensuring that social dialogue, social rights and the social acquis are at the core of accession discussions. Candidate countries must ensure the full respect of social dialogue, trade unions and workers and trade union rights, as well as of the social acquis. The process of reconstruction in Ukraine must be based on social conditionalities, involvement of social partners and trade unions, respect for workers’ rights and decent working conditions.