"There is still much to be done..."

This morning September 12 2018, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave his last State of the Union (#SOTEU) address to the European Parliament. Dubbed as “the Hour of European Sovereignty”, this year’s Speech not only summarized the EU’s highs and lows over the last year, but also marked the "beginning of the end" of the Juncker area, as the election process for a new Commission, including a new Commission President, is under way.

While much of the Speech focused on "big" current political topics like the EU’s role in the world, migration, the rule of law, - and of course Brexit -, Juncker also touched on Employment and Social Affairs, highlighting foremost that “never have so many men and women – 239 million people – been in work in Europe”. Also: 12 million jobs were created since 2014. Youth unemployment is still too high, but with 14,8% at the lowest rate since the year 2000.

While it is too early today to ponder over the Legacy of the Juncker Commission in terms of Jobs and Employment, it is a good moment to look at what the transition to the next Commission will be based on. For that, we need to dive into the “Brussels bubble” and adopt the language used by the Commission – keeping in mind the “need to deliver on our promises” which with regards to “Employment and Social Affairs” starts with “turning the good intentions that we proclaimed at the Gothenburg Social Summit into law”.

Those good intentions have been laid down in the “European Pillar of Social Rights”, presented as a set of 20 Principles and Rights, “from the right to fair wages to the right to health care; from lifelong learning, a better work-life balance and gender equality to minimum income”.

So far so good and clearly the dedication to creating equal opportunities and access to the Labour Market, fair Working Conditions and Social Protection are applauded by the ecosystem many of us evolve in. The question at the moment of proclamation of the Pillar in November 2017 – and going forward, lies in the translation of the Principles into Policy practice.

 As always, the devil is in the details.

The EU Pillar of Social Rights is about protecting all workers. Unfortunately, we see that Social Protection has so far struggled to evolve with the Labour Market. Social Protection often continues to be funded through employer and employee contributions related to direct, open-ended, full-time employment contracts, while at the same time, 42% of individuals in the EU work part-time, in temporary work or as self-employed. This leaves these "Labour Market Actors" in a vulnerable situation – not due to own choice or “misconduct”, but to outdated Social Protection systems. In principle, the EU Pillar of Social Rights addresses this problem. In practice, certain pieces of implementation of the Pillar, such as for example the Commission’s proposed “Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions” only reduces the options to promote diverse forms of work, rather than adequately addressing them. Having tabled the draft Directive a few months ago, the current Commission looks to close this chapter within this current mandate. But the ramifications are too important for Workers and Employers across Europe to give in to the round-up of an Administration’s turn.

One area where the “hand-over” to the new Commission is likely to be perceived positively relates to the future EU Budget, or rather: the next “Multiannual Financial Framework” (MFF) from 2021-2027. Through the Budget instruments (European Social Fund Plus, Erasmus and other programmes), the aspirations are being developed on how the EU will invest in #People, #Skills and #Work. Current discussions on the MFF point in the right direction. Promoting labour mobility, building future-proof skills and supporting job seekers are goals that we share for the Future of Europe. It remains to be seen though if the final compromise will indeed be ambitious enough to maintain and regain European Competitiveness on the Global stage, via ensuring Talent Competitiveness.

In Juncker’s words: “this Commission is merely a chapter, a brief moment in the long history of the European Union. (…) There is much still to be done”. He is right. Let’s get on with it.