Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights: what is needed to guarantee a positive social impact Extraordinary Workers' Group Meeting Sofia- 21-22 June 2018 S. Sabato, D. Ghailani, R. Peña-Casas, S. Spasova, F. Corti and B. Vanhercke

Structure 2/01/2019 The European Pillar of Social Rights as a new EU social policy framework: a preliminary assessment Policy recommendations to ensure a positive social impact Elements for an implementation roadmap

Revamping an EU Social Agenda Steering Member States’ policies 2/01/2019 1. The European Pillar of Social Rights as a new EU social policy framework ‘‘A policy infrastructure putting together in a coherent manner the various elements of a public policy, from agenda-setting to implementation” Three functions Revamping an EU Social Agenda Steering Member States’ policies Influencing EU macro-economic and fiscal policies

Revamping an EU Social Agenda (1) 2/01/2019 Revamping an EU Social Agenda (1) Social dialogue and legislative initiatives Two-stage consultation of the European social partners on access to social protection for all employment types and a proposal for a Council Recommendation on social protection for the self-employed and non-standard workers Two-stage consultation of the European social partners on the Written Statement Directive and the Commission proposal for the revision of the Directive (relabelled ‘Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions’) Proposal for a Directive on Work-Life balance for Parents and Carers

2. Revamping an EU Social Agenda (2) 2/01/2019 2. Revamping an EU Social Agenda (2) These initiatives: Have the potential to create new individual rights for citizens Create new political momentum: issues related to social protection back on the EU agenda But high risk of being watered down: Different views between the EU social partners Great deal of divergence between the Member States

Steering Member States’ policies (1) 2/01/2019 Steering Member States’ policies (1) Legislation Financial resources The European Semester

The EPSR and the first stages of the 2018 Semester Steering Member States’ policies (2) 2/01/2019 The EPSR and the first stages of the 2018 Semester AGS 2018 Draft Joint Employment Report 2018 What about the next steps? Country Reports, Country-specific Recommendations, National Reform Programmes and Stability & Convergence Programmes

Influencing EU macro-economic & fiscal policies (1) 2/01/2019 Influencing EU macro-economic & fiscal policies (1) A full implementation of the EPSR will not be ‘cheap’: need for adequate budgetary scope for the Member States EU macro-economic and fiscal policies should allow Member States to implement the EPSR

4. Influencing EU macro-economic & social policies (2) 2/01/2019 The limitations of the proposed Social Scoreboard Not all the principles of the Pillar are covered Need to boost headline indicators: gender wage gap, in-work poverty rate (of single workers) and collective bargaining coverage rate Consistency with existing scoreboards ‘Weight’ compared to dominant scoreboards Macro-economic Imbalances Procedure Excessive Deficit Procedure

Current effectiveness 2/01/2019 The European Pillar of Social Rights as a new EU social policy framework Current effectiveness Revamping EU activities in the social domain (rather good) Steering Member States’ policies (medium) Influencing EU macro-economic and fiscal policies (low)

5. Policy recommendations to ensure a positive social impact (1) 2/01/2019 Endowing the Pillar with adequate financial resources An ambitious but realistic roadmap for implementation is needed The governance arrangements for (EU and national) implementation of the EPSR should be specified (esp. for implementation at the national level) Awareness-raising media campaigns are needed at national level Making governments accountable

7. Policy recommendations to ensure a positive social impact (2) 2/01/2019 7. Policy recommendations to ensure a positive social impact (2) The EESC and National Economic and Social Committees should be ‘hubs’ to monitor the implementation of the EPSR at both the EU & national levels and to collect concrete proposals for its implementation The Social Scoreboard should be strengthened and could possibly be used as a reference-point for a future Social-Imbalances Procedure

Short-term initiatives 2/01/2019 8. Elements for an implementation roadmap (1) The roadmap should be ambitious but realistic Actions should be gradually implemented over time Short-term initiatives Directive on work-life balance to be adopted Endorsement and implementation of the Council Recommendation on social protection for the self-employed and non-standard workers Adoption of the Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions Benchmarking and mutual learning exercise with a view to establishing wage floors in the form of a national minimum wage Operationalization of the European Labour Authority Revision of the Social Scoreboard with a view to agreeing on a unique Scoreboard Ensuring that in the next EU multi-annual financial framework post-2020 an adequate level of resources supports the implementation of the Pillar

Medium - term initiatives 2/01/2019 8. Elements for an implementation roadmap (2) Medium - term initiatives Setting up of a ‘European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme’ Framework Directive on Minimum Income Schemes Exchange of good practices concerning the calculation of minimum pensions Feasibility of a European Child Guarantee Directive on Effective Enforcement of Workers’ Rights

8. Elements for an implementation roadmap (3) Long-term initiatives 2/01/2019 8. Elements for an implementation roadmap (3) Long-term initiatives Arrangements to link the Pillar to the Sustainable Development Agenda A Social Progress Protocol in any future Treaty change A Social Rights Test for all new policies Social Imbalances Procedure ‘Golden rule’ for public investment with a social objective

European Social Observatory 2/01/2019 European Social Observatory http://www.ose.be/EN/index.htm Authors: Sebastiano Sabato, Dalila Ghailani, Ramón Peña-Casas, Slavina Spasova, Francesco Corti and Bart Vanhercke Feedback welcome at sabato@ose.be