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It is my wish that the new European Commission takes the initiative to respond to people’s social needs. We know that the first year of any mandate is the most important one, so our key objective will be to release social objectives from their straightjacket of Employment and Social Affairs. We know that EU competence is focused around economics more than social policies, but our goal is to reshape economic priorities to serve the social.

This is why we agree with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s decision to set fundamental rights as his top priority; he has placed this vital portfolio in the hands offirst Vice-President Frans Timmermans. We look forward to discussing with him our proposal for an EU internal Human Rights strategy to ensure that not only is there no infringement of these rights within our borders, but that they are also promoted and implemented by the EU and individual member states.

We will also encourage the protection of social priorities within economic policies by dedicating a lot of our attention to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, with the goal of removing social, health and education services from the agreement; this would help to ensure affordable and accessible quality services to all in the EU. In December we will meet Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to exchange our views on this.

We hope to discuss effective implementation of social indicators in economic and budgetary policies with Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissionner Pierre Moscovici. It is high time we end the flawed argument that social investment in people is a cost: it is minimum priceless investment in our future.

We also want to engage in talks with Commissioner for Justice Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova, to put forward our argument why the Anti-discrimination directive – particularly access to goods and services – should be high on her agenda, as it is on ours. I hope to meet with her next Thursday to discuss this issue during the Italian presidency event on equality and non-discrimination.

There are numerous other areas where EU competence is not commonly considered to touch upon the social, but we disagree: namely Fundamental Rights, the Euro and Social Dialogue, Trade, Economic and Financial Affairs and Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship

However, this does not mean that there is no social priority for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility. We need to discuss with Commissioner Marianne Thyssen where the social pillar is positioned in the upcoming investment package of 300 billion euro to be presented by President Juncker in December. At the European Convention on Poverty on Nov 20-21 we will discuss what progress can be made to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty, and how we can ensure that the Europe 2020 Strategy finally delivers on its social objectives of poverty, education and employment.

President Juncker said that his new Commission will stand for change. I agree, as long as this includes changing the way we see social policies. Only time will tell.

Let’s engage!

Pierre Baussand, Director