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European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2026

TA-10-2026-0076 · P10_TA(2026)0076 · PE779.558

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Parliament's resolution on the European Semester for 2026 stresses the need to balance economic, social and environmental goals, fully implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, and tackle poverty, child poverty, youth unemployment, skills shortages and housing issues. It calls for integrating social priorities into the Semester, improving the Social Scoreboard, strengthening social investment, and ensuring fair transitions, while urging Member States to implement relevant EU instruments.

Key points

  1. Calls for integrating recommendations of 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 Semester, and ensuring all 20 principles are assessed in future cycles.
  3. Welcomes the EU anti-poverty strategy and European Child Guarantee, but calls for a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the Child Guarantee and for Member States to earmark at least 5% of ESF+ funds to fight child poverty.
  4. Calls for action on youth unemployment, including investing in the reinforced Youth Guarantee for all NEETs under 30, and for ambitious rules on traineeships to prevent misuse.
  5. Urges Member States to implement the minimum wage directive and minimum income recommendation to fight in-work poverty, and calls for the EU anti-poverty strategy to prioritise child poverty.
  6. Calls for monitoring self-employed people's access to social protection and for an EU Artists Charter to be published by 2026.
  7. Urges Member States to pursue Roma integration goals, including halving the employment gap and ensuring at least 60% of Roma are in paid work by 2030.
  8. Calls for addressing the disability employment gap and for an action plan on deinstitutionalisation, monitored within the European Semester.
  9. Calls for improving the Social Scoreboard to include indicators on inequality, in-work poverty, housing, and mental health, and for renewing the AROPE measure.
  10. Calls for treating social investment as foundational, using the Recovery and Resilience Facility until 31 December 2026, and strengthening the social economy.
  11. Calls for integrating the affordable housing plan into the Semester, with stronger focus on housing in country-specific recommendations, and for eradicating homelessness by 2030.
  12. Calls for an individual right to training for workers during working hours, cost-free, and for addressing skills shortages through education, mobility and legal migration.

Who is affected

  • Member States: must implement EPSR, minimum wage directive, minimum income recommendation, and invest in social policies.
  • Young people: benefit from reinforced Youth Guarantee and traineeship protections.
  • Roma: targeted integration measures to reduce employment gap.
  • Persons with disabilities: calls for addressing employment gap and deinstitutionalisation.
  • Workers: right to training during working hours, cost-free.

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, 10% for Member States above EU average.
  • At least 60% of Roma in paid work by 2030.
  • Until 31 December 2026 for use of Recovery and Resilience Facility.
  • Eradicate homelessness by 2030.

Legal basis: Article 3 TEU; Articles 9, 121, 148 and 149 TFEU