On 4 March 2021, the European Commission launched its Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights, setting out actions and initiatives the EU intends to take to implement and realise the aims of the Pillar.
The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights in 2017 at the Gothenburg Summit, setting out 20 key principles and rights essential for fair and well-functioning labour markets and welfare systems. The Pillar is structured around three chapters:
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Equal opportunities and access to the labour market
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Fair working conditions
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Social protection and inclusion.
To realise the principles within the Pillar, the Action Plan introduces three headline targets for EU Member States to achieve by 2030:
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At least 78% of people aged 20 to 64 should be in employment
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At least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year
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The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion should be reduced by at least 15 million.
The 2030 headline targets align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and, together with a revised Social Scoreboard, will allow the Commission to monitor Member States' progress under the European Semester. As part of the Action Plan, a number of concrete actions are outlined, including the implementation of the Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. You can read more about the launch of the Action Plan here: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_820
