The European Commission has published a report into the future of social protection in the EU. The report was developed by a High-Level Group (HLG) on the future of social protection and the welfare state, which was initiated at the end of 2021, as part of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. The HLG was established to analyse the expected impact of “megatrends”, including demographic changes, the accompanying shrinking workforce and an ageing population, as well as transformations on the labour market and the digital and green transitions.
Additionally, the emergence of new risks on the social protection and on welfare systems were explored. The members of the group also examined the design and scope of social protection systems and the financing of social protection, presenting key strategic recommendations to both national and EU levels. As part of this, the HLG outlined how protection systems and the welfare state should be reinforced for the medium to long-term, towards 2030. The full report is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=26589&langId=en