The EU’s aspirations for a ‘Social Europe’ are fraught with difficulties and contradictions, caught between higher expectations for a more social and protective Europe while being hampered in its ability to deliver. People no longer equate the European project with social progress or as an effective answer to today’s challenges. Society is becoming more polarised: widening inequalities, rising poverty and social exclusion, rapid technological change, increased precariousness, intergenerational immobility, and less stable forms of work, are all contributing to a growing sense of insecurity.
Thus, the relevance of the European project is being called into question, in particular, its added value and effectiveness in mitigating the negative impact of ongoing transformations. In response, the EU is paying increasing attention to the social dimension of EU policies. Despite this, the Union continues to face the same old, familiar challenges of limited competence in the social area and permanent resistance from (some) member states to the idea of Social Europe as an unifying goal.
How to square the circle? How can the EU add value to national policies in the area of employment, health, and social affairs? How can Social Europe be made a unifying goal and shared objective for all EU countries? These are the main questions the EPC Social Europe & Well-being Programme aims to address.
The Programme is structured around the following priorities:
• Strengthening the social dimension of EU policies and governance for upward social convergence.
• Towards a modern and inclusive labour market.
• Making European welfare states and social protection systems ‘future-fit’ in the light of ongoing labour market transformation.
• Investing in human capital for greater well-being and less inequality, with a particular focus on health.
The EPC’s work on health - mainly through the long-standing partnership with Johnson & Johnson under the CHES banner - has a particular focus on the ethical aspects, especially issues related to access, affordability and patient choice.
The activities under this Programme are closely integrated with other EPC focus areas, especially those related to migration and the economy, with a view to providing more ‘joined-up’ policy solutions.
The EU’s aspirations for a ‘Social Europe’ are fraught with difficulties and contradictions, caught between higher expectations for a more social and protective Europe while being hampered in its ability to deliver. People no longer equate the European project with social progress or as an effective answer to today’s challenges. Society is becoming more polarised: widening inequalities, rising poverty and social exclusion, rapid technological change, increased precariousness, intergenerational immobility, and less stable forms of work, are all contributing to a growing sense of insecurity.