Resolution on the Second World Summit for Social Development

The European Parliament adopted by 360 votes to 210, with 37 abstentions, a resolution on the Second World Summit for Social Development.

Context

Sustainable development is a core principle of the EU, and the EU is committed to implementing the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through transformative policies. However, significant inequalities, including income and gender disparities, inflation, housing insecurity, and regional imbalances, undermine social cohesion. While the EU has made progress in employment and aims to reduce poverty and social exclusion, challenges such as energy poverty, child poverty, precarious employment, skills shortages, demographic shifts, and unequal access to education and public services persist. The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and its Action Plan set targets for 2030, but these goals are at risk without stronger action.

Therefore, the resolution called on the Commission and the Member States to redouble their efforts to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and to cooperate with Parliament in developing a new European Social Deal for the future, with clear commitments and investments in the following areas: reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion in the EU and achieving carbon neutrality in the EU by 2050.

Moreover, the resolution highlighted the need for the Commission to bring forward as a matter of urgency a quality jobs package, including the necessary legislative initiatives and investments to ensure quality jobs. The Commission and the Member States are urged to foster democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining and the protection of workers’ rights, particularly in the context of the green and digital transitions. Members highlighted the need to keep allocating sufficient resources in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) to support social dialogue and collective bargaining and strengthen capacity building for social partners. Further efforts are needed to ensure equal pay for equal work done by men and women.

While welcoming the recent adoption of the Platform Work Directive as a landmark step towards protecting workers in the digital economy, Parliament emphasised the need to extend the same protection to workers in all sectors affected by AI, ensuring that the ‘human in control’ principle becomes a binding standard.

The Commission and the Member States are called on to:

- fully implement the European Care Strategy ensuring quality, affordable and accessible care services across the EU;

- make further efforts to address child poverty;

- strengthen their support for all social economy enterprises in order to promote quality, decent and inclusive work;

- build upon the Social Climate Fund and lay the foundations for the adaptation and strengthening of social protection systems at national level with EU support, in order to ensure social resilience against the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on jobs and living conditions.

Parliament called for close monitoring of active labour market measures, as well as adequate income support, access to decent and affordable housing and universal social security benefits to ensure equal participation of those furthest from the labour market.

Lastly, the EU should maintain strong support for social development, human rights, and fair employment practices, including through development and trade policies. A renewed commitment to achieving the SDGs and EPSR targets is vital, especially as recent progress has slowed.