This second meeting of the EPC Task Force on ‘Social protection in the 21st century’ brought together a selected number of participants and speakers to examine access to social protection in Europe and reflect on the impact that the emergence of new forms of work and employment relationships has on the social protection systems in Europe. Participants looked into access to social protection for people working on non-standard contracts and the self-employed, while discussing existing gaps in social security coverage and efforts to make European social protection systems more inclusive. The discussion was moderated by Ton Wilthagen, Professor of Labour market studies, Tilburg University.

Speakers included: Slavina Spasova, Researcher, European Social Observatory; Ana Carla Pereira, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission; Denis Pennel, Managing Director, World Employment Confederation; Axel West Pedersen, Research Professor, Institute for Social Research, Oslo; Giuliano Bonoli, Professor of Social Policy, University of Lausanne.