This roundtable took place online on 11 October and it brought together Equality Bodies, civil society organisations and European institutions to discuss the role of National Equality Bodies in the implementation of the 2021 Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Find below a list of resources to dive deeper into the roundtable’s topic.
Background
The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) was adopted in 2017 as an ‘Interinstitutional Proclamation’ of the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission. The Commission refers to the Pillar as ‘a compass for a renewed process of upward convergence towards better working and living conditions in the European Union’. It is described as a shared political commitment and responsibility in the Pillar’s preamble, but the Commission takes the view that the responsibility for implementing the Pillar lies – to a very large extent – with the Member States. In 2021, the European Commission released a detailed Action Plan for implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights, which clarifies and elaborates further the responsibility of Member States in implementing the ESPR in their respective national contexts.
The delegation of responsibility for implementing the EPSR to the Member States provides an opportunity for National Equality Bodies to contribute to a successful realization of the Pillar’s 20 principles at the national level. Crucially, the principle of equality is prominently mentioned in both the European Pillar of Social Rights and in its 2021 Action Plan, being emphasized through multiple references to the principles of gender equality, equal opportunities, and equal treatment.
Objectives
The overarching objective of this roundtable was to identify specific roles and activities for Equality Bodies which could be of greatest added value to the effective national implementation of the Action Plan.
Additionally, the roundtable aimed at:
- shedding light on the usefulness and potential opportunities of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan;
- discussing viable strategies for implementing the Action Plan and pinpointing the roles Equality Bodies can play in this.
Agenda
Session I: the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan
- Introducing the Action Plan: Francesco Schmidt, European Commission
- Fundamental Rights aspects in the implementation of the Action Plan: Ursula Till-Tentschert, European Union Fundamental Rights Agency
- Opportunities and challenges of the Action Plan from the CSOs perspective: Juliana Wahlgren, European Anti-Poverty Network
Session II: Implementing the Action Plan
- Amanda Catania, National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, Malta
- Anna Ludwinek, Eurofound
Resources
- Presentation by Amanda Catania, National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, Malta
- Presentation on ‘Role of Equality Bodies in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan’ by Anna Ludwinek, Eurofound
- An Equinet Factsheet on Equality Bodies’ role in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. The main learnings from the Roundtable and the rich conversations with speakers and participants, were summarised into a factsheet.