Compared to the rest of the world, Europe has the best levels of social protection and also ranks highly in terms of quality of life and wellbeing. However, it faces a wide range of challenges, including impact of the COVID situation.

The EU has only limited competence when it comes to social issues as most of it is up to national governments. The responsibility for employment and social policies lies mostly with the member states and their governments. This means that national governments - and not the EU - decide on issues such as wage regulations, including minimum wage, the role of collective bargaining, pensions systems and retirement age, and unemployment benefits.

However, over the years, the EU has been working on social issues throughout the European integration process and come up with a series of instruments in the social sector. These include EU laws, funds and tools to better coordinate and monitor national policies. The EU also encourages countries to share best practices on issues such as social inclusion, poverty and pensions.

One of the supporting tools is the European Social Fund+, with a total budget of €88 billion for next 7 years. It will play an important role in the implementation of the action plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights and in countering the socio-economic effects of the pandemic. It integrates the former European Social Fund, the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD) and the EU programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) into one fund.

social Europe (T)

European Social Fund (T)

9th parliamentary term

Social Europe

European Social Fund: extracts from the debate and statement by David CASA (EPP, MT), rapporteur

European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027: opening statements by David CASA (EPP, MT), rapporteur and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

EP Plenary session - European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027

Infoclip: European Social Fund - ESF+

European Parliamentary Week 2026 -  EMPL Interparliamentary Committee Meeting

EP Plenary session - A new action plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR)

EP Plenary session - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

EP Plenary session - Second World Summit for Social Development

EP Plenary session - Commission statement - Intergenerational fairness in Europe on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons

State of the European Union - #SOTEU2025: statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission (part 6 - Social justice - Housing)

EP Plenary session - Social Europe: making life affordable, protecting jobs, wages and health for all

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: one round of political group speakers

EPRS policy podcast - Future shocks: Building a European social model for the 21st century

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe

Statement by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe - encouraging investment, private property and public housing programmes: Opening statement by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission

Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe: extracts from the debate

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Estonian (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - French (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Czech (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Spanish (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Slovakian (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Greek (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Swedish (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Hungarian (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Finnish (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Slovenian (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Dutch (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Latvian (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Gaelic (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Maltese (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - Portuguese (subtitles)

EPRS - Mapping the cost of non-Europe: Ten ways that Europe could do more for you - English (subtitles)

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