Commenting on the overall conclusions of the informal meeting of the Heads of State /Government, in which they  

• Commit to reduce inequalities, defend fair wages and fight poverty and discrimination
• Commit to achieve new EU targets to increase employment and training and reduce poverty
• Recognise that the European Pillar of Social Rights is a fundamental element of recovery

Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, said

“This is an important result and could be the beginning of a fairer Europe. But managing much-needed green and digital change needs far more than increased skills training. To avoid creating employment black holes across Europe there needs to be massive investment  in creating quality jobs and new industries. And this needs to be done through dialogue between government, employers, unions and civil society.”

European leaders also agreed today to look beyond GDP as the only measure of economic success and move to an approach which prioritises peoples’ welfare. Trade unions and employers’ organisations have agreed a set of 14 measures on social, economic and environmental well-being designed to complement GDP. That will provide a better representation of a countries’ economic performance and how it relates to the well-being of its citizens.

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