Today the Commission has launched the second round of discussions with trade unions and employers' organisations at the EU level on how to help people in employment and in self-employment have access to social protection and related employment services.

© Shutterstock / David Pereiras

This is yet another important step forward in making the European Pillar of Social Rights a concrete, only a few days after its proclamation by the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission at the Social Summit in Gothenburg.

Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, said: "This Commission is firmly delivering to make Europe more social. I want to make sure that everybody who works is covered by social protection schemes, on the basis of their contributions. This is important to make sure our social protection systems are adequate, sustainable and in respect of intergenerational fairness."

In order to make social models sustainable in the long term and to address intergenerational fairness, and in line with the Treaties and the Commission's commitment to social dialogue, the Commission is asking the opinion of social partners by launching the second stage of the social partner consultation. Social partners have now 7 weeks to respond. In parallel, a wider public consultation is also open to collect the views of all relevant stakeholders such as public authorities, companies, the self-employed, platform workers and civil society.

Drawing on the conclusions of these consultations, the Commission intends to present a proposal in the first half of next year.