Jean-Claude Juncker announces new summit on ‘fair jobs and growth’

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, addressing 20 ministers and several Commissioners at a conference on social rights today, announced an EU Social Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, on November 17.

Named the “Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will co-host the event with the Commission. Löfven said: “We need to show that we can deliver results in peoples’ everyday lives. A more social Europe, with fair working conditions, effective labor markets.”

Juncker said his mission has been “a more social Europe,” and, after receiving feedback from 16,000 people in a series of consultations, Juncker confirmed his intention to push ahead with more legislation on social rights, an intention he flagged in 2016. “It is time to establish the European Pillar of Social Rights,” Juncker said.

Markus Beyrer, director-general of Business Europe said: “The persisting social problems in Europe are not due to a lack of social policy measures, but to a lack of global competitiveness.”