Social union is the integration of
social policy among several nations or states. Among the integrated policies are those of
welfare
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
,
labour law, the larger
social safety net
The social safety net (SSN) consists of non-contributory assistance existing to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution. Examples of SSNs are previously-contributory social pensions, in-kind and fo ...
and the distribution of collected income among the citizenry. Similar to the
fiscal union
Fiscal union is the integration of the fiscal policy of nations or states. In a fiscal union, decisions about the collection and expenditure of taxes are taken by common institutions, shared by the participating governments. A fiscal union does not ...
concept, such integration of social welfare policy theoretically follows deep levels of economic integration and free movement.
European Union
In the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
, the furthest level of integration on social welfare policy is the non-binding 2017
European Pillar of Social Rights, which is a framework reaffirming and completing pre-existing rights contained in the
Treaties
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...
.
In March 2018, the Commission proposed the establishment of a
European Labour Authority
The European Labour Authority (ELA) is an agency of the European Union tasked with coordinating and supporting the enforcement of EU law on labour mobility. Its activities started on 17 October 2019 and the agency is expected to reach a yearly bu ...
as a specific measure to implement the EPSR and to enable
self-employed workers to access social security.
[Streit um EU-Standards Wirtschaftlich einig, sozial gespalten. (Dispute on EU standards: Economically unified, socially divided)](_blank)
In: Spiegel online. 13 March 2018, accessed on 18 March 2018. The agency was established on 17 October 2019.
In 2021, the Porto Social Summit was organized by the Portuguese Council Presidency. It provided commitments to implement the European Social Rights pillar effectively, on the national and on the European level.
in: Porto Social Summit, accessed on 28 March 2022.
The Social Rights Action Plan was designed Strategic Agenda of 2019-2024. During the Summit, The Porto Declaration
in: European Council POrto Declaration, accessed on 28 March 2022. was presented and adopted, which evaluated COVID-19 crises, its consequences on European Social Rights and suggested some solutions on these issues.
See also
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Fiscal union
Fiscal union is the integration of the fiscal policy of nations or states. In a fiscal union, decisions about the collection and expenditure of taxes are taken by common institutions, shared by the participating governments. A fiscal union does not ...
*
European social model
The European social model is a concept that emerged in the discussion of economic globalization and typically contrasts the degree of employment regulation and social protection in European countries to conditions in the United States. It is comm ...
References
External links
European Social Union: a political necessity and an urgent research programme
Economic integration
Social policy
Labour law
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