Civil society wants a new EU social agenda with Anne Van Lancker

Available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

In this episode of FEPS Talks, Anne Van Lancker (President of SOLIDAR and former MEP from Belgium) speaks about the evolving social agenda of the EU. Civil society organisations united in SOLIDAR consider the European Pillar of Social Rights as a game changer and an inspiration for social policy action in the EU with further potential to generate improvements. Behind us is a “Golden Age” of social policy initiatives at EU level but now there is a lot to do for implementation.

Furthermore, since recently a poverty reduction target was set, an upcoming anti-poverty strategy from the European Commission will be a vital tool. Declaring housing to be a European concern is also appreciated, and social NGOs are ready to contribute to a common effort to learn from good practice and develop an effective EU policy in this area. Such developments prove that EU social policy has evolved well beyond what Jacaques Delors outlined three decades ago, but perhaps even more is needed, especially for a better coordination of economic and social policies, not least to ensure that there would be no return to austerity but an investment orientation is pursued instead.