Commission launches the reflection on the social dimension of Europe by 2025

On 1 March 2017 the European Commission presented a White Paper on the Future of Europe, which would form the Commission's contribution to the debate and reflection leading up to the Rome Summit of 25 March 2017 marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome. The White Paper set out the main challenges and opportunities for Europe in the coming decade.

The White Paper was part of a process involving all the EU Institutions and wider civil society and stakeholders to decide how the European Union of twenty seven member states should develop.

The European Commission said it would further contribute to the debate in the months to come with a series of reflection papers. The first of these was published on the 26 April 2017 and called a Reflection paper on the social dimension of the future of Europe.

The reflection paper raised questions on how to sustain standards of living, create more and better jobs, equip people with the right skills and create more unity within our society, in light of tomorrow's society and world of work. It did so by setting out three possible options:

+ Limiting the social dimension to free movement
+ Countries who want to do more in the social field
+ The EU27 deepen the social dimension of Europe together

On the same day the European Commission published its strategy to create a European Pillar of Social Rights.

European Commission: Priorities: Publications: The reflection paper on the social dimension of Europe https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/reflection-paper-social-dimension-europe_en

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