Using the EU to Advance Social Rights in Your Country: A Toolkit

In a fast-paced evolving Europe – marked by the COVID-19 pandemic some years ago, continuing geopolitical tensions as well as migration challenges, demographic ageing impacting on social security and pension systems, unfolding ecological and industrial transitions and the spread of digitalisation and AI into the world of work, the European Union remains committed to enhancing equal opportunities for all.

Its main vehicle for guiding fair and decent employment policies at EU level and in the Member States is the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). In 20 principles, it sets a compass to achieve ambitious standards for employment, social protection and inclusion, and education and training.

Trade unions can and should use the EPSR to push social partners and policymakers towards decent and fair work and social protection – not only at the EU level, but in national settings too.

CESI is pleased to present a new toolkit “Using the EU to Advance Social Rights in Your Country: A Toolkit” designed to support trade unions in making practical use of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) at national level.

The toolkit explains how the EPSR can serve as a concrete vehicle for advancing fair working conditions, social protection, inclusion, and equal opportunities. It offers guidance on the main EU instruments available to support implementation, including legislation, the European Semester, and relevant EU funding mechanisms. It also provides practical examples of how trade unions can engage in transposition, enforcement, policy coordination, and social dialogue.  

Developed as part of CESI’s PillACT project, the toolkit contributes to the project’s wider objective of strengthening the awareness, understanding, and capacity of CESI and its member organisations to support and influence the implementation of the EPSR at both EU and national level.

At a time when Europe is facing profound economic, social, digital, and demographic transformations, trade unions have a key role to play in ensuring that social rights are upheld in practice. This toolkit is intended as a practical resource to help them do exactly that.

Read the toolkit | EN