EESC SOC Section,update

 

SOC/856 - Quality jobs roadmap

EN

At its 607th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion, available in all language versions. (The links to the different language versions will work as soon as the opinion is translated). SOC/856 - Quality jobs roadmap In this opinion, the EESC welcomes the Quality Jobs Roadmap and points out that the sustainable competitiveness of the European Union, productivity, innovation and social progress must be mutually reinforcing. Job quality is key for the resilience of the European economic and social model. The EESC considers that this initiative must be aligned with the existing framework, particularly the European Pillar of Social Rights, the current European directives and the EU’s coordination and financing instruments. It recommends ensuring that any future action is understandable, proportionate and legally certain, without duplicating the mechanisms already in place and with due regard for the range of national systems of industrial relations and the circumstances across the individual sectors. The EESC recommends promoting a common approach to job quality, based on shared indicators that may be incorporated into the social scoreboard. These indicators should draw on the work of the OECD, the ILO and Eurofound, without adding unnecessary administrative burdens. Such indicators could include wages and other earnings linked to work, health and safety, job security, training and skills, working time quality, autonomy, equality and non-discrimination, social dialogue, collective bargaining and workers՚ representation. The EESC considers that any European initiative must be built around social dialogue and collective bargaining in order to adapt responses to circumstances on the ground, assist transformations, increase predictability and involve workers in changes.

Yours sincerely, Cinzia Del Rio President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) SOC/866 - Gender equality strategy 2026-2030 EN At its 607th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion, available in all language versions. (The links to the different language versions will work as soon as the opinion is translated). SOC/866 - Gender equality strategy 2026-2030 In this Opinion, the EESC welcomes the Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030 as a renewed commitment to advancing equality in the European Union, notably at a time of increasing backlash against such goals. It stresses that gender equality is both a fundamental value and a driver of economic growth, competitiveness, and resilience. It highlights that achieving a Union of Equality requires a coherent and integrated approach linking gender equality, social inclusion and economic policy with responsibility shared by EU institutions, Member States, and social partners. It supports the proposed EU performance and reporting framework under the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), which integrates gender equality as a horizontal principle across EU funding programmes. It calls for strengthening the EU equality framework, protection of civic spaces, including online, continued support and funding for civil society organisations working to advance equality. Particular attention should be paid to addressing gender segregation in employment and education, full and effective implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive, quality and inclusive healthcare services, a gender-sensitive and rights-based approach to AI and strengthening women's participation in decision-making. Yours sincerely, Cinzia Del Rio President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) SOC/861 - Towards a clear EU framework for the posting of third-country nationals (TCNs): Ensuring genuine posting, legal certainty and fair competition EN At its 607th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion, available in all language versions. (The links to the different language versions will work as soon as the opinion is translated). SOC/861 - Towards a clear EU framework for the posting of third-country nationals (TCNs): Ensuring genuine posting, legal certainty and fair competition The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted an own-initiative opinion on the posting of third-country nationals (TCNs), calling for a clearer and more consistent application of the existing EU framework to strengthen legal certainty, protect workers and ensure fair competition. The opinion highlights that posted TCNs are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and stresses that posting must remain a genuine form of cross-border service provision, not a means of circumventing national labour migration rules. The EESC calls for clear and operational criteria to assess the genuine link between the worker, the employer and the sending Member State, while welcoming the recent political agreement on the revision of the social security coordination regulations, including the new three-month prior affiliation requirement, as an important step towards greater legal certainty. The EESC also advocates for stronger enforcement through a reinforced mandate of the European Labour Authority, better use of digital tools and improved information and support for posted TCN workers through closer cooperation with social partners. Yours sincerely, Cinzia Del Rio President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) SOC/859 - European Migration and Asylum strategy EN At its 607th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion, available in all language versions. (The links to the different language versions will work as soon as the opinion is translated). SOC/859 - European Migration and Asylum strategy In this opinion, the EESC acknowledges the aim of the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy to provide a comprehensive framework for EU action over the next five years. However, it considers that the strategy reflects an imbalanced approach, prioritising control, containment and return over a genuinely comprehensive, rights-based migration policy. The Committee recommends that the European Commission rebalance the strategy by placing equal emphasis on regular migration pathways, integration and inclusion policies, and the protection of fundamental rights. Migration should be addressed as a structural, multifaceted phenomenon with social, economic and humanitarian dimensions, rather than primarily as a security challenge. The EESC expresses concern as to whether the implementation of the strategy will fully comply with the Union’s core values, in particular respect for fundamental rights, human dignity, solidarity and the rule of law. It stresses that the credibility and legitimacy of EU migration policy will depend on the extent to which these principles are effectively upheld in practice. Yours sincerely, Cinzia Del Rio President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) SOC/858 - Anti-Racism Strategy EN At its 607th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion, available in all language versions. (The links to the different language versions will work as soon as the opinion is translated). SOC/858 - Anti-Racism Strategy In this Opinion, the EESC stresses that the Anti-Racism Strategy 2026-2030 must be backed by strong political will and calls for reinforced action against rising racism, discrimination and xenophobia. It recommends binding mechanisms, stricter enforcement with effective penalties, and national plans with clear accountability. The EESC supports long-term funding for civil society, stronger data and monitoring, action in housing, health and work, and education addressing historical roots. It also calls for increased funding and stronger action against online hate. Yours sincerely, Cinzia Del Rio President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)

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