Skip to content
REPORT (2025/2183(INI))

On the European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities – annual report 2026

A-10-2026-0033

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs · Rapporteur: Nela Riehl

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull textProcedure & committee votes
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This resolution sets out Parliament's employment and social priorities for the 2026 European Semester. It calls for stronger integration of social objectives into EU economic governance, full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and a balanced approach supporting competitiveness, sustainability, and social justice. It demands action to combat poverty and social exclusion, including eradicating child poverty, strengthening minimum income schemes, and addressing in-work poverty. It also calls for increased funding for the European Child Guarantee and an EU anti-poverty strategy. The resolution stresses the importance of social investment, education, and lifelong learning to address skills shortages and support fair transitions. It calls for an individual right to training, better recognition of qualifications, and measures to improve job quality and labour mobility. It calls for integrating affordable housing, deinstitutionalisation, gender equality, disability inclusion, and intergenerational fairness into the European Semester. It also advocates for a more democratic and transparent Semester process with stronger involvement of Parliament, social partners, and civil society.

Committee position. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs proposes a resolution setting out Parliament's priorities for the 2026 European Semester, calling for stronger integration of social objectives, full implementation of the EPSR, and action on poverty, skills, and social investment.

Key points

  1. Calls for integrating recommendations from the High-Level Group on social protection, the Letta and Draghi reports into the European Semester, and for a balanced approach supporting social rights and competitiveness.
  2. Urges full implementation of the EPSR, embedding its targets in the European Semester, and ensuring all 20 principles are addressed in future cycles.
  3. Welcomes the EU anti-poverty strategy, affordable housing plan, and quality jobs act; stresses coherence with the European Semester and measurable targets.
  4. Calls for eradicating child poverty, monitoring the Child Guarantee, and reflecting budgetary compliance in country-specific recommendations.
  5. Reiterates call for dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee and earmarking at least 5% of ESF+ funds to fight child poverty.
  6. Urges investment in the reinforced Youth Guarantee to support all NEETs under 30, including care leavers, with access to social services, housing, and mental health support.
  7. Calls for an EU directive on minimum income schemes to ensure coverage for everyone in need, and for implementation of the minimum wage directive and minimum income recommendation.
  8. Urges Member States to pursue Roma strategic framework goals, including halving the employment gap and ensuring at least 60% of Roma are in paid work by 2030.
  9. Calls for addressing the disability employment gap, updating the disability strategy, and an action plan on deinstitutionalisation covering all groups.
  10. Calls for improving the Social Scoreboard to reflect inequality drivers, treating in-work poverty as a warning signal, and including a social progress index and Gender Equality Index.
  11. Calls for integrating affordable housing into the European Semester, monitoring homelessness, and regulating short-term rentals in areas under housing stress.
  12. Calls for an individual right to training for workers during working hours, cost-free training, and guidance on public-private partnerships for funding.

Who is affected

  • Member States: must implement EPSR, minimum wage directive, and minimum income recommendation; invest in Youth Guarantee and social infrastructure.
  • Commission: must improve Social Scoreboard, ensure transparency in country-specific recommendations, and propose legislation on minimum income and training.
  • Vulnerable groups including children, Roma, persons with disabilities, and NEETs: targeted support and inclusion measures are called for.
  • Social partners and civil society: should be involved in formulation and monitoring of national reforms.

Figures and deadlines

  • At least EUR 20 billion dedicated budget for the European Child Guarantee.
  • At least 5% of ESF+ funds to fight child poverty; at least 10% for Member States with above-average child poverty.
  • At least 60% of Roma in paid work by 2030.
  • Disability employment gap of around 24%.

Legal basis: Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union; Articles 9, 121, 148 and 149 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.