Reference Group on the European Semester

This report captures the perspectives of our members, local public social services, on the implementation of EU social policy priorities.

To bring closer the work of our members and the European Commission’s proposal for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), 2020 thematic focus was on the implementation of three key principles concerning child social welfare, long-term care and addressing homelessness.

Social Services Priorities in the European Semester

On 22 and 23 September, ESN held its annual meeting of the European Semester Reference Group to analyse key trends and priorities, captured in our report Investing in Social Services, Investing in Europe.

In 2020 the Group focused on three key European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) principles in 17 countries:

• Principle 11 - Childcare and support for children; • Principle 18 - Long-Term

Care; • Principle 19 - Housing and addressing homelessness. Key Issues:

• absence of initiatives to strengthen community and family-based care (Principle 11); • fragmentation in health and social care services in community settings (Principle 18); • persistent issues in housing supply and support (Principle 19).

Members highlighted recommendations to address these issues, such as:

• foster care; • strengthening community and home support for older people; • integrated housing and social services.

ESN proposes the Commission the creation of an integrated social strategy post-2020 linked to the Pillar implementation which should be monitored through the European Semester and a broader scoreboard with indicators disaggregated by age, gender and disability.

A cross-cutting element across the 2020 principles of the EPSR is the provision of support to vulnerable populations, hence we request the EC to implement the Pillar through a Care Guarantee for All linked to initiatives such as the Child Guarantee, Youth Guarantee, disability, employment and longterm care European actions.

Requests to the European Commission:

• Promote Investment in

Social Services to support

Europe’s recovery and resilience; • Support national authorities to set up a Care

Guarantee for All; • Support the workforce to improve quality of social services and social care.