European pillar of social rights – Achieving upward social convergence with a rights-based approach?

The Social Progress Watch 2016, a tool implemented by SOLIDAR members and partners for the third consecutive year in 15 countries all over the EU, shows once more the growing social disparities between and within member states. Not only is spatial inequality still persisting, but also the growing discrimination of third-country-nationals when it comes to the access of their economic, social and cultural rights has been observed by our network. These developments signify a potential decline in the realisation of certain rights granted by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and Art. 9 TFEU.

SOLIDAR advocates for a rights-based approach that builds on comprehensive and integrated social policies that are based on high-level social standards that are applicable in all EU member states in order to upgrade labour law and social protection systems in the EU.