Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Responsibilities

DG EMPL develops and carries out the Commission's policies on:

• Employment and social affairs
• Education and training

EU employment and social policies bring practical benefits to citizens, for example, in finding a job, moving to another Member State for work or other reasons, upgrading skills, etc. In partnership with national authorities, social partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, the Directorate-General addresses challenges linked to globalisation, the ageing of Europe's population and changing social realities.  Examples of the areas in which we are active include support for:

• More and better jobs through the European Employment Strategy (which brings national policies closer in this field) and the European Social Fund (€9 billion per year managed in partnership with the Member States).  
• Free movement of workers and coordination of social security schemes, which means that every EU national has the right to work and to live in any EU country and that people who move between countries are not disadvantaged in relation to social security including healthcare.
• Social inclusion by supporting efforts to combat poverty and social exclusion, reform social protection systems, assess new demographic and social developments.
• The European Commission's priorities are set out in the Annual Management Plan of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion website