When it comes to better jobs, equal opportunities, fair working conditions and strong social protection, the EU strives to improve people’s lives through the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Commission has published a communication that looks at the impact of this Pillar and highlights three areas which require urgent additional attention.
The communication confirms the Pillar’s importance in protecting and promoting social rights. To further ensure fairer labour markets and stronger welfare systems, the EU must
- address affordability and the cost of living by continuing to support measures that reduce poverty, improve access to essential services, and help people with significant barriers to return to work
- harness AI for the future of work and shared prosperity by establishing a new high-level group on the impact of AI on the labour market
- reduce inequalities and promote equal opportunities by improving support for small businesses and developing better ways to measure job quality across the EU
Making progress in these areas is complementary to ongoing Commission initiatives on jobs, skills, mobility and poverty reduction.
The European Pillar of Social Rights, which was adopted in 2017, sets out 20 rights and principles. It has guided EU policies such as the European Child Guarantee, the EU’s main tool to combat child disadvantages, and the EU Minimum Wage Directive, the EU’s legal framework that ensures workers earn an adequate living wage.
For more information
European Pillar of Social Rights
- Publication date
- 22 July 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Communication