Social Europe in the new EU Economic Governance framework

The Council of the European Union and the EU Parliament recently agreed on a fundamental reform of the EU Economic Governance framework, which will reshape economic policy coordination in the new legislature after the European Parliament elections in June. However, despite mentioning of European Pillar of Social Rights in the agreed reform, it remains unclear how the social dimension will be integrated and how social policy actors will be involved in the new framework. 

To discuss these issues and gather input ahead of the final Council meeting of this legislature, FEPS, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) invited selected experts and stakeholders to an informal roundtable that took place on 21 May, 2024, at FEPS HQ in Brussels. 

The roundtable was structured in two sessions each followed by open discussions with key actors from the Commission, the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the German Chancellery, the Belgian European Council Presidency, and Trade Unions. Session 1 was focused on the integration of social investments and reforms in the EU’s new fiscal rules. Session 2 was centred around strengthening Social Europe politically within the new Economic Governance framework.

Among our speakers were:

• Maria João Rodrigues, FEPS President and Chair of PES Financial and Economic Network
• László Andor, Secretary General, FEPS
• Christiane Kesper, Director, FES Brussels
• Olivier Bontout, Deputy Head of Unit DG EMPL, European Commission
• Francesco Corti, Advisor to the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Health 
• Dominika Biegon, EU Economic Policy Advisor, DGB 
• Amandine Crespy, Professor in Political Science and EU Studies at Université Libre de Bruxelles
• Sonja Bekker, Professor in European Social Policy at Utrecht University
• Lennard Welslau, Research Analyst, Bruegel 
• Johanna Lehmann, Social Policy Advisor, FES Brussels 

This event took place under Chatham House rules and participation was upon invitation only. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Vanessa Zwisele, FEPS Project Officer (vanessa.zwisele@feps-europe.eu).