This week the European Commission launched the 2015 work plan including 23 new proposals and 80 items of pending legislation for withdrawal or amendment. SOLIDAR is most notably disappointed by the foreseen withdrawal of the Maternity Leave Directive and is strongly concerned about the overemphasis of “cutting red tape” in the frame of the Regulatory Fitness and Performance programme (REFIT) and thereby potentially undermining European social and environmental standards and paving the way for more deregulation. The protection of workers and our environment are by no means a unnecessary bureaucratic burden but rather fundamental pillars of our European societies. SOLIDAR, together with our allies and partners will continue to advocate for comprehensive social protection and social inclusion which cannot be achieved by a one-sided focus on jobs creation without the guarantee of social rights. Furthermore, SOLIDAR stresses the need of an open and transparent dialogue between the Commission and civil society as foreseen in Art. 11 of the Lisbon Treaty and in the sense of the Horizontal Social Clause in article 9. Reading today that Commission President Juncker has given again a mandate to Edmund Stoiber as special adviser for better regulation is the wrong sign at the wrong time and not the way to solve the social crisis, nor to move forward for the social triple A stipulated by President Juncker before his election by the EP.

However, several initiatives are foreseen for 2015 where SOLIDAR will be engaged with its network of members and partners:

• Promoting integration and employability in the labour market & labour mobility: Packages of measures will be proposed to support Member States in getting people, especially the longer term unemployed and younger people, into work and developing a skilled workforce while at the same time supporting labour mobility and tackling abuse by better coordination of social security systems. The 2014 SOLIDAR Social Progress Watch and the Education & Lifelong Watch reports and our recommendations will shape the advocacy in the year to come to broaden the scope beyond employment policies. Our “17 best practices for social investment and quality job creation” showcase innovative, efficient and tailor-made models to promote social inclusion and quality job creation.

• Mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy. Following up the recent public consultation to which SOLIDAR contributed in the field of Social Affairs and Education and Lifelong Learning we will continue advocating for Amplifying educational and social targets as policy levers, Strengthening the European Platform Against Poverty and Reinforcing the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs to improve and update the Europe 2020 strategy.

• Trade and Investment Strategy for Jobs and Growth. A comprehensive review of the EU’s trade policy strategy is planned and SOLIDAR will be working with strategic partners of the Global Network, Arab NGO Network for Development, Global Progressive Forum and our Transatlantic Allies to develop joint recommendations to ensure that trade leads to reducing inequalities within the EU as well as in partners countries.

• European Agenda on Migration. Under the leadership of ARCI and in cooperation with the three SOLIDAR Committees a transversal initiative is launched to put solidarity at the heart of the EU asylum, migration and integration policy that will feed into the European Commission process in 2015.

• Communication on European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The review of the ENP is planned to define new policy orientations following a consultation launched together with the annual ENP package; SOLIDAR has prepared input in this stock taking process by the launch of a briefing paper and the organisation of a four day advocacy mission in Brussels by representatives from the Middle East and North Africa; together we will continue promoting the social dimension of this EU external policy.

Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. SOLIDAR has welcomed the Council Conclusions on Post 2015 and the references to universal social protection, decent work and freedom of association, these should be integrated into the upcoming Communication and SOLIDAR will continue advocating for social justice at the heart of the sustainable development goals to fight poverty and inequality.