Social Agenda Issue 52 - EN

SOC I A L AG E NDA / J U LY 2 0 1 7 / 2 7 From Trade to Employment You moved into your new position soon after the EU leaders proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights and just before the European Commission put forward its 2021-2027 budgetary proposals… Yes, I hit the ground running! Overall, the Commission has proposed a stable budget despite the fact the EU is losing one Member State. For the first time, there is a specific cluster on investing in people, under the Cohesion heading, and a precise amount of money for the European Social Fund (ESF+). In fact, the share of the ESF within the Cohesion package will increase. What about the European Pillar of Social Rights? It plays a steering role in the European Semester process of economic policy coordination, in the future ESF+ priorities and even in the skills and social investment window of InvestEU. We are also giving it teeth by legislating. We have a very ambitious agenda to push through the EU decision-making process before the 2019 European elections: on work-life balance; predictable working conditions; access to social protection for all; social security coordination; the Accessibility Act for people with disabilities, not to forget the future European Labour Authority… Before, you were Deputy Director General of DG Trade. The latest generation of international trade agreements signed by the EU all have a chapter on sustainable development? Yes, substantial ones and of which labour is a very important part. It is all about finding common ground and agreeing on minimum standards to which we must all abide, which is why the International Labour Organisation is so important. Trade liberalisation is a good thing and globalisation has a lot of advantages for many people. However, there are groups of people, regions and certain sectors of industry that lose out and this also must be addressed. We have our own values to defend, in which social rights and labour law play an important role. Values is what the Pillar is all about? Yes, this is why the European Pillar of Social Rights is so important: It expresses the type of society that we cherish. It therefore serves as a reference framework, showing the way we want to go, like a compass. It is a good narrative that calls for action. But signing up to the Pillar is one thing, putting it in action is another, as we can see with our legislative proposals that are going through the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers. We are determined to see those proposals through: They have the potential to improve the lives of millions of workers and their families, whether self-employed or engaged in new forms of work, and to facilitate people with disabilities’ access to products and services within our internal market. Ambitious agenda: “We have a very ambitious agenda to push through before the 2019 European elections”. © European Union INTERVIEW Joost Korte is Director-General of the European Commission’s Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion DG since 16 March 2018 8