The European Social Network’s (ESN) response to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) new Action Plan:

ESN welcomes the commitment and progress of the European Commission towards the preparation of the new Action Plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). This position paper outlines ESN’s recommendations that the EPSR’s new Action Plan should include to ensure accessibility, coverage and quality of public social services across Europe.

We propose the following recommendations: 

1. Monitoring through the European Semester Cycle
2. Link funding to the implementation of the Pillar
3. Support national public authorities to strengthen social services at national level
4. Integrated social and employment services (Relevant Principles: 12,13,14)
5. Support for children (Relevant principle: 11)
6. Invest in the care workforce (Relevant principles: 15,16,17,18)
7. Inclusion of people with disabilities (Relevant principle 17)
8. Investment in long- term care services (Relevant principle: 18)
9. Support for homeless people or at risk of homelessness (Relevant Principle: 19)