Public services care for, protect and support – the citizens, the society and the economy. They determine whether societies are sustainable or not. They are crucial to implement the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Especially in times of crises, public services are at the forefront. The crises of the past decades – 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the 2010 European debt crisis, the 2015 refugee migration challenges, the 2015/2016 terrorist attacks, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and not least increasing natural disasters – have demonstrated that countries with efficient and strong public services are more resilient.

Crises may become the new normal, but they remain unpredictable in nature and scope. As public services cannot be equipped overnight in a tailored manner, foresighted investment appears to be increasingly necessary.

This conference aims at taking stock of the lessons learnt from the Covid pandemic and further recent crises, and at advocating a strong European public service agenda – to put investment in the equipment, facilities and staff of public services at the core.

The EPC study on ‘Well-performing public services for a fair and resilient European society’ provides the background for the discussions

More details here