Launch of the 'Social Europe' Working Group: A holistic approach to Europe's social problems, Brussel - Hoofdinhoud

Although the concept of ‘Social Europe’ was put on the EU agenda more than two decades ago, the recent economic crisis has greatly swayed the attention of policymakers from social concerns.

A contribution towards taking the “social” dimension of the EU out of the “specialists-only” corner, and an effort to grab the attention of the wider policymaking community to put social issues higher on the overall policy agenda needs to be made. In other words, a more holistic approach has to be taken towards Europe’s social problems, and Friends of Europe thinks it’s high time to initiate such an activity.

By building on available studies and research, with a high-level group of authoritative and representative voices - comprised of social partners and independent experts - and with the support of high profile political actors we intend to come to a valuable set of recommendations culminating in an agenda setting document for the incoming European Parliament and Commission on the way ahead for European countries’ social issues.

On 28 January 2014, Friends of Europe will launch this Working Group, bringing together around 30 people from various professional backgrounds, high-level decision makers from politics, trade unions, academia and business for an in-depth analysis of Europe’s current societal challenges. Frank Vandenbroucke, Professor at the University of Leuven, former Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister for Employment, Pensions and Social Affairs will chair the working group.

Confirmed members include: Tony Atkinson, Deputy Director, Economic Modelling, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School; Aart De Geus, former Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and currently Chairman and CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung; Anna Diamantopoulou, former Greek Minister for Education and European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Sony Kapoor, Managing Director, Re-Define;

Rodri Morgan, Chancellor of the Swansea University and former First Minister for Wales; Pascal Lamy, former WTO Director General; Christopher Pissarides, Nobel Prize Laureate, School Professor of Economics and Political Science and Regius Professor Designate at the London School of Economics; Dimitris Tsigos, President, European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (YES) and Danuta Jazlowiecka, Member of the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.