Social investments for resilient economies and societies

On 26 April 2023, the European Commission presented a proposal to reform the economic governance framework. The objective is to strengthen debt sustainability and promote sustainable and inclusive growth through gradual fiscal consolidation, as well as via reforms and investments that should be growth-enhancing, support debt sustainability, and respond to common EU priorities, including the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Following the EC proposal, the Spanish Presidency and the Belgian Presidency of the EU have launched an Informal Working Group on Social Investment (IWGSI). Its main objective is to open a political debate on empirical evidence on micro and macroeconomic and social returns of social investments and reforms, as well as monitoring and evaluation methodologies for tracking social investment returns. The IWG will further reflect on the contribution of social investments to economic growth and debt sustainability.

This High-level Conference will be the occasion to present the key messages and preliminary findings of the Informal Working Group activities. It will gather speakers such as Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights; José Luis Escrivá, Spain Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration; Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health; MEP Margarida Marques and László Andor, FEPS Secretary General, among many others.

For more information, please contact Euléane Omez, Project Management coordinator, at euleane.omez@feps-europe.eu

About the Informal Working Group on Social Investment (IWGSI)

The IWG counts on 23 Member States, The Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), the chairs of the Employment Committee (EMCO) and The Social Protection Committee (SPC), the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EP EMPL) and the European Social Partners.

The activities of the IWG will be the basis for the preparation of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council – Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (ECOFIN- EPSCO), JUMBO meeting that will take place in March 2024. On that occasion, the Economic and Finance Ministers and Employment and Social Affairs ministers will be invited to discuss the interplay between social investments and reforms, economic growth, macroeconomic stabilization, and upward social convergence.