European Commission

International labour standards should be an important reference point for the European Pillar of Social Rights

A strong social dimension of European governance should be at the heart of the roadmap for the future of the EU and would help to reconnect with citizens.

Press release | 23 January 2017
© EU
BRUSSELS (ILO News) – ILO Director-General Guy Ryder has welcomed the European Commission’s initiative to construct a European Pillar of Social Rights. Addressing over 600 participants from social partners, civil society, EU institutions and member state authorities at a high-level conference in Brussels, he said that international labour standards should be an important reference point for the European Pillar of Social Rights.

“The European Pillar of Social Rights will start to address questions related to the economic and social damage inflicted by the financial crisis, and should provide the answers people are looking for,” he said during a panel discussion.

Participants at the panel discussion, Allan Larsson, Special Adviser for the European Pillar of Social Rights, and Maria João Rodrigues, Member of the European Parliament and rapporteur on the European Pillar of Social Rights, agreed that in order to reconnect with citizens, a strong social dimension should be at the heart of the roadmap for the future of the EU.

The ILO Director-General underlined that “the Pillar needs to be credible and concrete, and should address the imbalance between the economic and social dimensions of European governance processes,” and recalled European Commission President Juncker’s intervention when he visited the International Labour Conference last June and described the social dimension as the “poor relative” in the EU.

“The EU member states are either diverging in terms of socio-economic outcomes or converging towards deteriorating outcomes,” said Mr Ryder. “The European Pillar of Social Rights, combined with the 2015 initiative of the President on ‘A new start for social dialogue’ could help foster a stronger social dimension in the EU.”

The construction of the Pillar is closely linked to the future of work. “Even if we did not have worrying processes of divergence in the EU, we would have to have this discussion given that the world of work is undergoing profound transformation,” he added. “The change we are witnessing happens on a scale, with a depth and rapidity we have never seen before, leading to a diversification of work situations. This will require an adaptation of the current legislation.”

The European Commission is expected to present its proposal on the Pillar in March.