Category: European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights and European Semester as tools for delivering Social Europe

The European Pillar of Social Rights and European Semester as tools for delivering Social Europe  

On 2 October, the European Commission’s DG Employment together with the European Centre of Expertise (ECE) in the field of Labour Law, Employment and Labour Market Policies organised a reflection with civil society on the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Semester.

Through ERGO Network’s Annual Work Programme RISE (Roma Included in Social Europe), ERGO Network closely follows the European Semester process as a possible tool to foster the social inclusion and poverty reduction of Roma in the EU, with a special focus on the five countries with the highest Roma population  – Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic.

ERGO Network Director Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova presented ERGO’s work in this area and pointed out the great discrepancies between the poor living situation of Roma in these countries and the attention Roma inclusion receives in the European Semester. Czech Republic, for example, is under the infringement procedure for segregation of Roma children in education, while this topic is not anymore included in the Czech country-specific recommendations.  Also Roma employment is not found among the CSRs in any of our target countries, even though Roma unemployment – and particularly youth unemployment – remains extremely high. Around 64% of Roma aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment and training according to research by the Fundamental Rights Agency – a fact that should be reflected in the European Semester and the European Pillar of Social Rights, but that does not attract any special attention in mainstream EU policies.

ERGO Network chair Stano Daniel and ERGO Network member Katalin Nagy added insights from the Roma grassroots in Hungary and Slovakia to the discussion in order to stress the importance of mainstreaming Roma inclusion in European policies, if the EU really wants to deliver on a Social Europe.

Let actions follow words – Proclamation of European Pillar of Social Rights

Today, at the EU’s Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg, the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Social Pillar has been published on 26 April 2017 by the European Commission as a summary of existing EU social legislation. Its aim is to serve as a guide towards a more social Europe and ‘upward convergence’ of social policies in the EU Member States. The Pillar includes 20 principles under three chapters: Equal opportunities and access to the labour market; Fair working conditions; social protection and inclusion.

For Roma as the most marginalised ethnic minority in the EU, with 80% at risk of poverty, only 30% in paid work and only half attending pre-school education, the European Pillar of Social Rights could mean an important step forward – if EU Member States take their commitment for a more social Europe seriously.

ERGO Network strongly urges European leaders to make of the Social Pillar more than just a proclamation and prevent it from becoming an empty shell. After the important step today, it is now time to let actions follow words. The principles touch on issues such as protection against forced eviction, access to essential services, inclusive education and the right for children to protection from poverty – all issues that, if tackled properly, can mean a real advancement for the social inclusion of Roma in the EU.

Now is the time to put dedicated budgets in place to make a social Europe a reality – a Europe that pays particular attention to its most disadvantaged citizens and does everything it can to reduce inequalities.

ERGO Network asks for increased efforts to reach out to Roma in the European Pillar of Social Rights

ERGO Network asks for increased efforts to reach out to Roma in the European Pillar of Social Rights

On 28th February, Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility met with civil society representatives to discuss the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goal to end poverty. With the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission aims to tackle the aftermath of the financial crisis and strives for an upward convergence of welfare systems and fair labour markets across Europe. European Commission President Juncker aims to achieve a “social triple-A rating” for the European Union, giving more weight to social priorities alongside economic and financial issues.  In the consultation meeting, Commissioner Thyssen pointed out: “In the current political and economic context, delivering real benefits for people and strengthening their confidence should be our first goal: no one must be left behind. Indeed, in the European Union, with all its diversity, we share a belief that increased competitiveness should go hand-in-hand with social progress”.

As a network of grassroots (pro) Roma organisations working on a daily basis with the poorest minority in Europe, we welcome the efforts of the European Commission to renew and improve the European social agenda to achieve positive social change and to create better living conditions throughout the EU, and appreciate the dialogue with civil society.

ERGO Network asks the European Commission to increase the focus of the Social Pillar on Roma as the most marginalised European minority, disempowered through poverty and discrimination[1]. According to the Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II), 80% of Roma are at risk of poverty compared with an EU average of 17% and only 30% are in paid work, compared with the average EU employment rate for 2015 of 70%.The European Pillar of Social Rights is a key opportunity to dedicate specific measures and indicators to decreasing this extreme inequality and combatting social exclusion of Roma. Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova, deputy director of ERGO network states: “Only when the most discriminated minority in Europe can claim their social rights and benefit equally from social protection systems, the European Union can obtain the so-called social triple-A rating. We would like to see a clear commitment to Roma inclusion in the final proposal of the European Commission”.

ERGO Network brings together over 25 (pro) Roma grassroots organisations from across Europe to empower communities, fight antigypsyism and achieve equal citizenship.

Contact: Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova (g.hrabanova@ergonetwork.org, +32 2 893 1049), www.ergonetwork.org

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European Pillar of Social Rights – Page 7 – ERGO Network

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