Next month the Commission will publish their work programme which will be interesting to see plans for integrating the single market while strengthening it's social dimension.

🤝 Social Standards & Competitiveness
Often social standards are interpreted as being anti-innovation and competitiveness, but the example presented of Denmark shows how social standards can go hand in hand with improving innovation. It doesn't have to be framed as an either/or discussion

🎓 Brain Drain & Mobility

Brain drain was flagged as an obstacle towards productivity and innovation. Letta highlighted investments in services of general interest to encourage people to live and work in regions suffering from territorial (and indeed) inequalities

🗣️ Social Dialogue:

Across political groups social dialogue was raised as an issue needing attention with concerns around the diminishing quality of social dialogue.

Big emphasis (and hope) put on the upcoming EU Pact for Social Dialogue to renew and strengthen processes to improve policy making

We can also expect a competitiveness compass (as early as next week), an industrial plan and initiatives to lower energy costs for businesses

Joined up thinking will be crucial to ensure social and employment policies complement competitiveness and security, and doesn't remain an after thought.

What does this mean for social (and health!) investment and employment policies?

In the coming months the Commission will present a union of skills, a quality jobs roadmap, an anti poverty strategy, affordable housing plan and a revised action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights.

🏘️ Pursuing policies that improve social inclusion, social services and access to affordable housing.

You can find the full overview below 👇
polish-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/media/fmqjgq...

⚖️ Implementing the principles of the EPSR, though no mention of the forthcoming action plan.

📈 Striving for better gender equality and opportunities for all, using collective bargaining and other policies to reduce inequalities for all.

💾 On the digital transition, an emphasis will be on implementing AI, and harnessing opportunities for workers and businesses.

👷‍♀️ Tackling labour and skills shortages via promoting investment in people's skills, promoting access to life long learning and education.

🟢 Maintaining the existing climate targets through implementing the 2030 legislation, while pushing for climate neutrality by 2050, and achieving the 2040 targets. This will be done in a way that promotes fairness, solidarity and competitiveness.

📝 Reforms to the European Semester, though unclear what this might look like, the social convergence framework and focus on social investments isn't mentioned.

🖇️ Reducing the regulatory burden on companies, particularly SMEs remains a priority.