The European Pillar of Social Rights is the European Union's (EU) "social compass". An initiative of the Juncker Commission (with Marianne Thyssen in charge of the Employment and Social Affairs Portfolio – both EPP), it was solemnly adopted by the Commission, the Parliament and the Council in 2017. The Pillar contains 20 principles covering equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion. To turn these principles into reality, the 2021 Porto Social Summit adopted an Action Plan proposing more than 70 initiatives, ranging from the Pay Transparency Directive to the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive, and set three headline targets and a number of sub-targets to be achieved across Europe by 2030. The headline targets are: an employment rate of at least 78% in the European Union; at least 60% of adults participating in training every year; and a reduction of at least 15 million in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (95 million people were at risk of poverty in 2021).
While most of the measures announced under the first Action Plan have now been put forward, progress towards the 2030 targets has been “uneven”, as the Commission itself recognizes. Employment figures are encouraging, with an average employment rate of 76.1% in 2025. However, only 39.5% of adults participate in training every year, while the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion has been reduced by only 3.5 million – which makes it challenging to reach the above-mentioned goals in the four remaining years until 2030.
A new Action Plan was therefore expected this year, as Commission president von der Leyen announced at the beginning of its second mandate. This new plan could have put Europe back on track to achieve its 2030 objectives. Instead, the Commission only published a communication last week, taking stock of progress so far and identifying three areas requiring particular attention, while announcing a limited number of additional initiatives.
The first of these priority areas is the cost of living. The Commission rightly notes that it has become Europeans' foremost concern and highlights some of its most pressing dimensions, including barriers to labour market participation, housing affordability, energy poverty and access to essential services. It also recalls a number of initiatives already announced in these areas, notably the future Affordable Housing Act, a European Care Deal and possible new measures aimed at supporting the labour market integration of people facing significant barriers to employment through activation policies.
The effects of artificial intelligence on the world of work is the second priority area. Here, the Commission announces that it will examine the long-term effects of AI on employment and explore how these effects can best be anticipated and managed, including through a new High-Level Experts’ Group tasked with developing scenarios for the future impact of AI on EU labour markets. It also intends to support capacity-building activities that promote the responsible adoption of algorithmic management in the workplace.
The third area is inequality, which remains high across the European Union. Income inequality, wealth concentration, regional disparities, environmental inequalities, gender inequalities and discrimination continue to affect millions of Europeans. On all these issues, the Commission reviews the actions already launched and announces some new measures, such as additional support, particularly for SMEs, in implementing the Pay Transparency Directive.
In summary, the Communication on the European Pillar of Social Rights takes stock of progress towards the EU's 2030 social objectives. It rightly acknowledges the significant challenges that remain and identifies three priority areas requiring particular attention. To achieve its objectives, the focus is on better implementation of existing instruments rather than on proposing major new initiatives. This approach is in line with the current emphasis on competitiveness and simplification, and reflects the limited support that ambitious new social initiatives would likely receive from the Council and the European Parliament. However, as the European legislator debates the future of the ESF+ in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), one may legitimately wonder whether, without new binding measures and adequate funding, Social Europe will be able to achieve the objectives it has set for itself.