A new group has been set up to encourage Governments and EU institutions to fully implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. The group ‘Stand Up for the Social Pillar’ brings together social economy enterprises and organisations including cooperatives active in industry and services, trade unions, pro-European organisations and social NGOs, and has as its mission to ensure that the European Pillar of Social Rights delivers results that improve people’s lives and builds support for a more social, inclusive and fairer European Union, characterised by less socio-economic inequalities; 

• encourage implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights by the EU Institutions, national Governments and other organisations; promote social investments, social rights, social economy, the adoption of legislation and democratic dialogue with policy makers as means of implementing the Pillar;
• spread knowledge about the European Pillar of Social Rights and its 20 principles at national and local level.     

The alliance aims to give a much-needed new impulse to implementation of the Pillar now and into the future. Currently implementation is running into difficulties in Council and more needs to be done in the draft new EU 2020-27 budget for funding social investment. With the European elections next year candidates for the new Parliament - and Commission – need to be committed to continue implementation of the Pillar.      

‘Stand Up for the Social Pillar’ aims to make national organisations more aware of the significance and political importance of the principles of the Pillar and create an environment in which national Governments and EU institutions commit to full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The group aims to have a series of activities in member states and the EU institutions, and with member organisations, starting with a meeting in the European Parliament on September 25.

Founding members of the new group are

CECOP – CICOPA Europe the European confederation of industrial and service cooperatives affiliates 26 members in 15 European countries representing 50,000 enterprises employing 1.3 million workers.

The European Movement the largest pan-European network of pro-European organisations. It is present in 39 countries and encompasses 36 International Associations, bringing together European civil society, business, trade unions, NGOs, political parties, local authorities and academia.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) represents 45 million workers in Europe and comprises 89 national trade union confederations in 39 countries, plus 10 European trade union federations.

Social Economy Europe is the voice of the 2.8 million social economy enterprises and organisations in Europe. SEE members are the European organisations of mutual and cooperative insurers, non-profit healthcare players, health mutuals and health insurance funds; foundations, associations of general interest, work integration social enterprises, paritarian institutions of social protection, ethical banks and financiers, and the European Cities and Regions for the social economy. At national level, SEE represents the national social economy organisations of France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and of Belgium.

Social Platform is the largest civil society alliance fighting for social justice and participatory democracy in Europe. Consisting of 49 pan-European networks of NGOs, Social Platform campaigns to ensure that EU policies are developed in partnership with the people they affect, respecting fundamental rights, promoting solidarity and improving lives.