THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Towards a new legislative term

FIVE YEARS WITH THE PILLAR OF SOCIAL RIGHTS: EUROPE’S SOCIAL SITUATION IN TIMES OF CRISES 85 Recommendations – Underline the importance of the confederal element in Europe, especially with the development of the Eu- ropean Political Community. – This in turn is compatible with the deepening of the federal element that is taking place. The best ex- pression of this is the proposal from the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs re- garding calling a Third European Convention and the reform of the treaties. – Over the course of 2022 and 2023, both dimensions – the confederal and federal – are proving compatible. – The debate between widening (enlargement) and deepening has re-emerged once again, for example in the address by the President of the Commission on 13 September. It must happen at the same time, or, if in doubt, deepening before widening. This is a matter for the Spanish Presidency. Abbreviations – AA: Association Agreements. – AROPE: At Risk Of Poverty and Exclusion. – ECB: European Central Bank. – ERDF: European Regional Development Fund. – ESF+: European Social Fund Plus. – FTJ: Just Transition Fund. – RRM: Resilience and Recovery Mechanism. – NEET: Young unemployed people not in education or training. – NGUE: NextGenerationEU. – PESD: European Pillar of Social Rights. – GDP: gross domestic product. – NRP: National Reform Plans. – PRR: Resilience and Recovery Plan. – SURE: European Temporary Support Instrument to Mitigate the Risks of Unemployment in an Emergency. – EU: European Union. References Andor, László (2022): The Lights of Porto: The EU Social Season and Its Aftermat. IMK Study Nr. 75. Düssel- dorf: Macroeconomic Policy Institute. Comisión Europea (2021): Labour market and wage developments in Europe: annual review 2021. Luxemburgo: Publications Office of the Euro- pean Union. Available at: https://data.europa.eu/ doi/10.2767/066622 Comisión Europea (2021): The European Pillar of So- cial Rights Action Plan. Luxemburgo: Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https:// op.europa.eu/webpub/empl/european-pillar-of- social-rights/en/index.html Comisión Europea (2023): European Economic Forecast Spring 2023, Institutional Paper 200 | May 2023. Luxemburgo: Publications Office of the European Un- ion. Available at: https://economy-finance.ec.europa. eu/system/files/2023-05/ip200_en_1.pdf Comisión Europea (2023): El instrumento SURE cumple su misión: informe semestral final, COM(2023) 291 final, 2.6.2023. Bruselas: Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/ commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_23_3024 Comisión Europea (2023): Informe conjunto sobre el em- pleo 2023 adoptado por el Consejo el 13 de marzo de 2023. Bruselas: Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https://commission.europa.eu/ system/files/2023-05/COM_2023_609_1_ES.PDF Comisión Europea (2023): Recovery and Resilience Score- board. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/economy_fi nance/recovery-and-resilience-scoreboard/index.html Consejo Europeo (2021): Declaración de Oporto, co- municado de prensa, 8 de mayo de 2021. Available at: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/press/press- releases/2021/05/08/the-porto-declaration/ Hacker, Björn (2019): A European Social Semester? The European Pillar of Social Rights in practice, Working Paper 2019.05. Instituto Sindical Europeo. Bruselas: ETUI aisbl. Hacker, Björn (2023): Die Europäische Säule sozialer Rechte: Wirkung und Weiterentwicklung. Zwischen Kompass und Steuerungsinstrument. SWP-Studie 5, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. Berlín: SWP.