Forging the new EU agenda

The beginning of a new legislature offers unique possibilities for reshaping the work plan of European institutions, adapting the approach to some existing initiatives, and putting forward new policy initiatives that freshly appointed European Commissioners or Members of the European Parliament would want to champion.  

The Progressive Economic Policy Conference is an initiative co-organised with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), ETUC and the S&D Group, in collaboration with progressive organisations, representatives of the social-democratic movement and trade unions. 

The event will kick off with a speech by European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli (September 25 at 14h00, Palais des Academies) on Anchoring equality in the new European agenda.

In a closed-door setting, it aims to discuss advancing progressive priorities in some of the critical policy areas in which the Union will be active in this new legislature. Given the restricted setting, this initiative allows for fine-tuning organisational priorities and open discussions. 

The conference features six main roundtables on the EU’s key economic policy challenges. The roundtables will be designed to reflect on how to give a real bite to progressive political priorities in the EU’s key areas of work. 

There will also be sessions on how to support workers in the transition to defend the Green Deal and the future of the gender equality agenda.

Further, several critical priorities of progressives and trade unions are addressed transversally across the conference:  

• Continuing the social agenda anchored to the European Pillar of Social Rights 
• Protecting and expanding the EU Green Deal principles, policies and reach  
• Ensuring the quality of work and good employment amidst the transitions  
• Upholding upward convergence, territorial cohesion and equality 

This event takes place under Chatham House rules, and participation is available upon invitation only. For more information, please contact Thainá Leite, FEPS Project Officer (thaina.leite@feps-europe.eu), or Vanessa Zwisele, FEPS Project Officer (vanessa.zwisele@feps-europe.eu).