Policy Lab on Just Transition

The challenge: building resilient societies – embedding wellbeing and social policy at the heart of EU policy processes.

The Policy Lab will discuss how social policy e.g., the integration of the European Pillar of Social Rights into the European Semester, can be taken to a new level. What does it take to weave social policy deep into existing policy processes?

European governance frameworks, such as the European Semester are currently linked with economic growth to stabilise and promote social, political, and economic development. However, there are good reasons for the EU and their member states to become independent of economic growth: under the current social, economic, and political framework, a slowdown of economic growth – especially when combined with sudden shocks – is highly disruptive and reduces available resources for social security spending and the facilitation of jobs, thus threatening social cohesion.

Economic growth has never been a goal for its own sake, but a means to deliver prosperity, social peace, and stability. To secure stability it is crucial to focus on how to foster greater socio-economic resilience and stability in times of crisis. The purpose of EU policy is the promotion of wellbeing, as formulated in article 3 of the treaty on European Union (TEU). The combination of low growth rates, inequalities, and poverty combined with rising costs of living, leads to an explosive societal situation, and calls for decisive action.

To secure social cohesion, putting social questions at the heart of policy processes is key. Centring in on wellbeing as a goal means focusing on equity and the delivery on basic human needs as key social stabilisers. Ultimately, this also secures more acceptance of the ambitious environmental policy measures enshrined in the European Green Deal.

The Policy Lab explores the potential of embedding social policy at the heart of EU governance and bringing wellbeing and stability into focus.

REGISTRATION:
(CLOSED)

FORMAT:
Innovative co-creative space for political innovation

AIM:
Co-create steps to further anchor social policies in existing policy frameworks and explore how these frameworks can be upgraded to deliver on questions of human needs.

PARTICIPANTS:
Members of the Commission DGs, members and staff of the Council, and Parliament, representatives from national governments, and selected experts from civil society, social partners, and academia.

BENEFITS:
▪ Explore how to further anchor social policies in existing EU-policy processes.
▪ Make use of a great opportunity to connect with colleagues and selected experts.
▪ Advance your knowledge by receiving first-hand information.