Recommendations and proposals have been made by Eurodiaconia on the Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report ahead of the new European Semester cycle.
The Annual Growth Survey outlines the most pressing economic and social priorities on which the European Union and its Member States need to focus their attention in the coming months. The draft Joint Employment Report (JER) is published alongside the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) and provides an annual overview of key employment and social developments in Europe as well as Member States’ reform actions.
On Monday 25th September, Eurodiaconia sent a letter to Commission Vice President Dombrovskis, Commissioner Moscovici, and Commissioner Thyssen with recommendations for this year’s AGS and JER, two key documents of the European Semester process. We drew the Commission Vice President and Commissioners’ attention to a number of concerns. We offered proposals including mainstreaming the role of social services in work inclusion efforts, fighting inequalities in the labour market and beyond, tapping employment potential through quality social services, ensuring inclusive jobs through the European Pillar of Social Rights, and increased social investment within the social sector.
We underlined the fact that slow but significant improvements in employment figures in Europe should not be an excuse to not address the many challenges and precarious realities still faced by large numbers of Europeans. Therefore, we urge the JER to act upon these issues and lead the way for a Semester process which is committed to quality employment and social inclusion as a sound path towards a more sustainable and cohesive EU.
You can gain more information on our proposals and recommendations in the Key Messages from Eurodiaconia, and the recommendations on the 2018 AGS.