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European and international social policy

The activities of the Ministry of Social Affairs in the field of social policy at European and international levels.
 

The Ministry of Social Affairs is not only active in Austria, but is also represented in international organisations and at EU level.
These include:

In these organisations and their committees, the main issues are cooperation on social policy and the involvement in drawing up documents and making decisions. Alongside this there are also separate social policy arrangements with individual countries (bilateral issues).

Social policy in the EU

All of the Member States of the EU have very different social systems which have developed throughout history. The main responsibility for social policy is therefore still in the hands of the Member States themselves. Important tasks of the EU are EU legislation (directives and regulations) and the judicature (European Court). The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Protection Council (EPSCO) is one of the ten specialist councils at EU level. It pursues the goal of improving the standard of living and quality of life of the population, particularly via high-quality jobs and high standards of social, health and consumer protection. The EPSCO Council is made up of the ministers of all the EU Member States who are responsible for these policy areas.

European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) was proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission in the form of an Interinstitutional Declaration in November 2017. With its 20 principles from the areas of employment and social policy, it forms a cornerstone of Europe's social dimension. It is based on 20 rights and principles, which are divided into three chapters (equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, social protection and social inclusion). The EPSR is intended to serve as a guideline for future measures in the employment and social sector. The aim is to make Europe more visible to citizens, reduce poverty, create jobs and improve people's living conditions overall. The ESSR also serves as a compass for activities and initiatives at European and national level, especially when it comes to dealing with the economic and social consequences of the pandemic.

In March 2021, the European Commission presented an action plan outlining the specific measures to be taken to implement the EPSR. The action plan also includes three key targets that the EU should achieve by 2030:

  • At least 78 % of 20-64 year olds should be in employment
  • At least 60 % of all adults should participate in a training programme each year
  • The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion should be reduced by at least 15 million (including at least 5 million children)

At the Porto Social Summit in May 2021, EU heads of state and government reaffirmed their commitment to realising the defined headline targets for 2030 and signed the Porto Declaration. Information on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights at EU level can be found on the European Commission's website.

The European Semester takes into account the priorities of the Pillar and supports the implementation of the EPSR. The European Semester is an annually recurring coordination process for economic, fiscal, employment and social policy at European level.

Austria's targets are above EU requirements

Building on the EU-wide core targets, the member states set their own national targets as a contribution to implementation. Austria's targets in the areas of employment rate and adult education exceed the EU targets and the aggregated national commitments of the EU member states. The Austrian commitments provide for an employment rate of 79.9 per cent and 62 per cent participation in adult education by 2030. The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Austria is to be reduced by 204,000 by 2030.

The European Commission intends to closely monitor the implementation of the national commitments in the course of the cycle of the European Semester.

Open method of coordination (OMC)

The OMC is a voluntary process of European policy coordination and enhanced cooperation in areas in which the EU has no or only limited competence under the treaties. The OMC is applied in various areas, but mainly in European employment and social policy (‘social protection and social inclusion’, “pensions”, ‘health and long-term care’). A key element of co-operation is the mutual exchange of experience and best practices and mutual learning.

Social Protection Committee (SPC)

The Social Protection Committee (SPC) is a key body for cooperation within the framework of the Open Method of Coordination, an instrument for aligning national policy measures with common objectives at EU level. It is an advisory body for the ministers from the 27 EU member states who meet in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO). Its areas of work include social protection and social inclusion, old-age protection (pensions), healthcare and long-term care.

The core task of the Committee is to monitor the social situation and developments in social policy in the member states. This is documented in its annual report.

According to the report, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion across the EU fell slightly in 2023, but the individual member states present a very mixed picture. The number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion has risen overall. In order to achieve the EU-wide poverty target by 2030, significant progress must therefore be made in the second half of this decade.

Particular attention should therefore be paid to the risk of poverty among people in households with low labour intensity, the rising rate of housing cost overburden in many places and the fight against child poverty. In addition, income inequality has worsened in a third of the member states.

To improve the overall situation, the report recommends, among other things, a distribution impact assessment for measures and reforms, the further strengthening of social security systems, addressing child poverty through the targeted provision of benefits in kind and ensuring adequate housing.

The annual report is based, among other things, on the results of the annual EU-wide survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). Corresponding information and analyses on the social situation specifically in Austria can be found in the ‘General social policy’ section.

In addition, the Social Protection Committee is responsible for the Indicators' Sub-Group (SPC-ISG). It is dedicated to the development and refinement of social statistics indicators and analytical frameworks at EU level. These are used for the ongoing monitoring of the fields of action and objectives agreed as part of the Open Method of Coordination. The sub-group has a special role to play in the further development of EU-SILC.

Areport on the current activities (PDF, 193 KB)and results of the subgroup and on the 2024 work programme (PDF, 320 KB) are available online, as are its current portfolio of social indicators and its guiding principles for selecting indicators and statistics (PDF, 79 KB).

International social policy

Bilateral issues

Bilateral activities serve to benefit the exchange of information with different countries worldwide. They include the organisation of bi- and multilateral expert seminars, visits by ministers, the conclusion of bilateral treaties and agreements, and bilateral working groups in the field of social affairs. Bilateral declarations of intent on cooperation in the field of employment and social issues have been made with several countries (i.e. Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova). The main thematic focuses are questions of combating poverty, policy for and with senior citizens, active ageing, long-term care, policy for people with disabilities, social services and health.

A total of three special attachés from the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection work in the countries of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia (one official covering all three countries), Albania and North Macedonia (one official covering both countries) as well as in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (one official covering both countries), where they further strengthen bilateral cooperation. The special attachés support the attachés countries on their way towards EU accession through fostering the convergence with European social and health standards locally.

United Nations - international social policy

The United Nations plays a significant role in the creation and implementation of international social policy. The organisation has 193 member states, and its headquarters are in New York City.

Its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Committee for Social Development (CSocD) are the main bodies of the UN in terms of social policy. In September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in New York. They cover three dimensions: the economy, the environment and social affairs. The idea behind these goals is to promote sustainable development and to end poverty in the world by 2030.

An overview of the SGDs

  1. Combating poverty
  2. Combating hunger, promoting food safety and healthy nutrition
  3. Health and the structure of the world population
  4. Education and lifelong learning
  5. Gender equality and the strengthening of the position of women
  6. Water management and sanitary systems
  7. Access to energy
  8. Economic growth, productive work carried out in decent conditions
  9. Infrastructure, industrialisation and innovation
  10. Elimination of inequality in and between countries
  11. Sustainable cities and inclusive, safe housing
  12. Sustainable consumption and production
  13. Combating climate change
  14. The protection and sustainable use of seas, rivers and lakes
  15. The protection and restoration of the ecosystems and biodiversity
  16. The promotion of peaceful societies, access to justice, and inclusive institutions
  17. The means to realise the goals and a global partnership.

The realisation of the SDGs in Austria

The realisation of the global sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 is being supported by all Austrian ministries in their respective sphere of responsibility (PDF, 2 MB). In summer 2024, Austria presented its "2nd Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs" at the United Nations in New York. More information on the presentation of the report on national und international level can be found on the website of the Austrian Federal Chancellery. Numerous success stories and flagship initiatives linked to the implementation of the sustainable development goals in Austria can also be found there. Success stories from the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection include the national programme “early childhood interventions” ("Frühe Hilfen"), the care reform package "community nursing" and the initiative "Wohnschirm" which helps with excessive housing costs.

Last update: 12 February 2025