EU bid to nestle closer to voters

SWEDEN: European Union leaders will proclaim a set of 20 ‘‘social rights’’ today in a bid to make the EU more appealing to voters and counter eurosceptic sentiment across the bloc.

The set of social rights, supported by all EU governments and institutions, spells out what the EU believes are the foundations of fair and wellfunctioning modern labour markets and welfare systems.

It encompasses principles ranging from equal access to jobs, to fair working conditions and wages and social protection and unemployment benefits and training.

‘‘We had a financial crisis, we have a migration crisis, we have too high levels of unemployment in some countries, we have a deterioration of working conditions in some sectors,’’ said a senior EU official.

‘‘All this has made some people lose confidence in their governments or in the European Union, has led to dissatisfaction and concern, as we have seen in the results of some elections. There is certainly a need to respond.’’

Britain’s decision last year to leave the EU made the bloc reflect on the way forward, including putting more emphasis on social policies, a second official said.

‘‘The leaders’ agenda is ... to bring EU project closer to the citizens – not to have more Europe, but to have a better Europe.’’

The set of rights, to be officially proclaimed as the European Pillar of Social Rights today, says everybody has the right to quality education throughout their lives and that men and women must have equal opportunities in all areas.

Officials said that while the rights would not be directly enforceable by the EU, they established a common EU standard which the European Commission will refer to when issuing its annual recommendations for policy changes to each country.

– Reuters