At the Tripartite Social Summit, CEEP President Katherina Reiche addressed the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov with the main messages of providers and employers of public services and SGIs on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Ms Reiche focused her speech on three key messages:

The central role of public services: “We, as providers of public services and services of general interest, are ready to deliver. Contributing to more than a quarter of the EU GDP and employing more than 30 per cent of the total workforce, public services have a lot to offer. We have an important potential to sustainably improve living standards and boost regional development, all over Europe.”

The need to invest in infrastructures to connect Europe and its citizens: “As part of the next MFF, we must support physical and social infrastructures to create a strong basis of modernised and high-performing public services, boosting our economy and reconnecting citizens and enterprises with the European project. To ensure social and territorial cohesion in this process we must particularly focus on rural and removed areas. Only then, people all over Europe will be connected.”

The importance of Social Dialogue in times of change: “For the implementation of the Pillar of Social Rights, we also need a strong social dialogue. Employability through life-long learning and adapting the skills agenda to the digitalisation are already crucial issues and will certainly remain so in the future. However, there is no “one size fits all”-approach considering the very different social models in Member States.”
 

EU cross-industry Social Partners also presented a joint statement, urging a swift adoption of the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework ahead of the European elections.

For further information, please contact:
Maxime STAELENS, Communication Officer
Email: maxime.staelens@ceep.eu
Tel.: + 32(0) 2 229 21 40
Website: www.ceep.eu

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CEEP, European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services and SGI, is one of the three general cross-sectoral European Social Partners. It gathers public and private providers of services of general interest from across Europe. CEEP members contribute to more than 26% of EU GDP and employ 30% of the EU workforce.