At the high-level conference in Brussels that closed on Monday a far-ranging consultation on the Pillar, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker highlighted national minimum salaries and national minimum incomes as issues he would like to see addressed by European cooperation on the Pillar.

He confirmed that the Pillar should apply initially to the Eurozone, with other EU countries free to join.

President Juncker also announced that the European Commission would co-host an EU “Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth” together with Swedish Prime Minister Löfven in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017. The Summit will gather heads of state and government, the social partners and other key players to discuss the policy priorities set at European level and see how the European Union, the Member States and social partners at all levels can deliver on their shared economic and social priorities.

The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, said: “I am convinced now, more than ever that the debate on social issues should be at the heart of the discussions on what kind of Union our citizens want to have. We need a competitive economy that enables quality job creation: And an economy which will also provide  long-term sustainable and appropriate social protection to citizens throughout life."

Commissioner Thyssen underlined the need for partnerships at all levels to achieve tangible results which make a different to people's lives.

The event attracted more than 600 participants from:

• Member State authorities,
• EU institutions,
• social partners
• civil society

including more than 20 national Ministers and several Members of the College of Commissioners.

Since the initiative's announcement by President Juncker in September 2015, there has been a wide debate with EU authorities, Member States, social partners, civil society and citizens on the content and role of the Pillar and how to ensure fairness and social justice in Europe.

Monday's discussions bring this process to an end and will help the Commission prepare its proposal on the Pillar to be expected in March.

Background

Delivering on a more social and fair Europe is a key priority for this Commission. In his 2015 State of the Union address President Juncker announced that he wants to develop a European Pillar of Social Rights.

On 8 March 2016, Vice President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Thyssen put forward a first, preliminary outline of this initiative. The Pillar will set out a number of essential principles to support well-functioning and fair labour markets and welfare systems. It has been conceived as a reference framework to

• screen the employment and social performance of participating Member States,
• drive reforms at national level
• to serve as a compass for the renewed process of convergence across Europe.

A broad public consultation gave the opportunity to discuss the first ideas presented by the Commission during 2016. This public consultation was concluded at the end of December. The Commission proposal on the European Pillar of Social Rights can be expected in March.

Conference on European Pillar of Social Rights

You can find out more about the conference on our event page.