Save Our Social Europe – a vision for the future At the beginning of the 21st century, Europe is at a critical moment: at stake is what kind of societal model we will develop. Faced with demographic change and the global economy, the challenge is how to reconcile the need to build prosperous and competitive societies whilst ensuring that the people in Europe have adequate social protection to give them the confidence to deal with a rapidly changing world. Some people claim that due to different welfare traditions and under the current challenges of an ageing society and unemployment, a European Social Model can neither be defined nor function. All European countries however share the believe in health care and education for all, decent housing and social protection. Together with common values, these ideals form the core of a European Social Model and play an important part in the self-definition of Europe. To cut social security and social benefits which for decades have shaped the European understanding of a socially responsible society in times of economic problems is the wrong answer to the problems. A question of trust The EU wants to get its citizens closer and close the communication gap between institutions and citizens, who do not know a lot about the EU and don’t identify with the European idea. This communication gap can only be bridged when the EU meets the aspirations and fears of the citizens of Europe. Policies proposed by the EU however, often further alienate people. Only a European Union that does not solely focus on growth and competitiveness, but ensures a participative democracy, strengthens social inclusion and therefore meets the people’s aspirations can recreate trust in the European project. We call for a European Union… … in which a balanced approach of economic, employment and social policy is guaranteed We call upon European heads of governments to reconfirm their commitment to a strong social dimension of the Lisbon Strategy. In the last years, the focus has more and more shifted to growth and employment, neglecting the important aspect of social inclusion. The social aspects of the Lisbon Strategy cannot be degraded to assesoires cushioning the effects of economic measures. Social inclusion is an equally important productive factor for Europe and the result of a common European history. A strong social dimension of the Lisbon Strategy therefore needs to be reflected in all policy initatives, including the National Reform Programmes. To make a decisive impact social inclusion needs to be mainstreamed into all policy areas, including the financial instruments of the European Union. ... that guarantees that all new measures and legislative acts are socially compatible Under the motto ‘cutting red tape’, the European Union aims at simplifying its legusaltive body. This exercise should however not endanger social standards. For the future, we call upon the EU to not adopt any policy proposals or legislative acts without a precedent social impact assessment.
… in which everybody has access to high-quality social and educational services EU competition rules aiming at boosting Europe’s productiveness need to make sure that workers’ rights are respected all over Europe and that the provision of high-quality social services of general interest accessible to all is not endangered. The provision of high-quality social services, which contribute to the development of social cohesion and to the implementation of fundamental rights of individual users, create social capital and thus the promotion of civil commitment, needs to be ensured. An exemption period from EU competition law would give the time to understand the sector and come up with proposals of how to ensure EU wide fair competition. …. that makes the concept of decent work for a decent life a reality for all Ensuring Decent work for all - a concept which includes access to employment, equality for women and men, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue- must become the core policy objective of a development model in which the economic and the social dimension go hand in hand – in Europe and worldwide. … that promotes inclusive education and training policies It is crucial to ensure opportunities for continuous education throughout people’s lives. To be effective, lifelong learning strategies should also complement and act in synergy with other policies, e.g. research, technological innovation, employment, culture and social policies. Governments must take responsibility for delivering high-quality education and making available the best in-service training and life-long learning which will enable workers to retrain for new skills and new jobs, and to face uncertainties with confidence. … free of all forms of discrimination The EU and its member states need to step up their efforts to fight all forms of discrimination, in- and outside the workplace The development of a common migration policy, based on fundamental rights and non-discrimination, could positively contribute to the EU’s efforts of facing the challenges of demographic change and technological development. …. free of gender discrimination To ensure an equal representation of women in the European economy family planning, elderly care and accessible, affordable and adequate child day-care, benefit and employment security in case of maternity, as well as policies aimed at eliminating the pay gap between the sexes and helping more women into full-time employment, are essential. The EU needs to set out an effective strategy of fighting violence against women, a serious violation of women’s human rights and an undeniable obstacle to women’s full participation in society. … is a strong voice for a fairer globalisation internationally The EU has made commitments to address the social dimension of the globalisation at both European and international levels. The Lisbon Strategy needs to influence the external policy of the EU much more strongly and provide a framework for the EU’s response to the Sustainable Dimension of Globalisation. This includes that the EU needs to promote trade policies fully supportive of social development that are based on the elements of the European model as an alternative to purely neo-liberal economic concepts on bi- and multilateral level. The negotiations in the framework of the WTO are one example where the EU needs to underline the specificity of the EU model based on the link between the social, the environmental and the economic as well as on solidarity and access to decent work for all.
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