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PRIORITY

Solidarity: A Europe that brings people together

We envision a Europe with a renewed spirit of solidarity among its peoples and that brings this vision beyond its borders. We want a Europe that cares for everyone and protects the most vulnerable in our society. Our unique EPP approach combines the drive for competitiveness and economic opportunities with a strong sense of social solidarity and responsibility. Solidarity is not an obstacle, but an engine for growth: neither is possible without the other. We believe in a Europe that works together, includes everyone, offers the best conditions for raising a family, creates jobs, empowers our youth, women and families, and provides the best possible working environment for business while asking everyone to contribute their fair share. We want a Europe that turns different interests into bridges and conflicts into solidarity.

Solidarity: A Europe that brings people together

Protecting

  • Our European social model as defined in the European pillar of social rights, safeguarding our social market economy, financial stability, and functioning welfare state that accompanies demographic changes and that links economic growth to social solidarity.
  • The most vulnerable in our society and ensuring those who look after them are informed by a European Care Strategy, both to support carers and to ensure those who receive care or are in need of support are best provided for.
  • Fairness in our Union with a fair Digital Single Market, where tech giants who profit from European consumers also pay their share with a digital tax to be used as part of Europe’s own resources.
  • Our children’s health: all must have access to the best treatments and the highest quality medicines, no matter where they live in Europe. We want to empower our researchers to create the most effective treatments, ensuring the right incentives for the development of orphan and paediatric drugs by creating a true European Paediatric Clinical Trials Network. By working together, we can save children’s lives.
  • Our youth and children’s future by establishing a “Youth and Children Test” for all EU legislation to ensure European laws respect the interest of young people and children’s rights as well as  promoting the well-being of our youngest citizens.
  • With the European Disability Card that, once approved, will recognise the disability status with a common European definition, providing equal rights to persons with disabilities across the EU.

Creating

  • A New Pact for Intergenerational fairness, including a Youth and Elderly proof check of all EU legislation. We want to safeguard our elderly and support healthy ageing, for seniors to remain active members of society, while empowering our youth to have a bright future. To ensure the wellbeing of senior citizens, we want to establish enhanced networks and innovative structures that provide the best care, but also combat social exclusion.
  • A Joint initiative for demographic policies through common guidelines supporting Member States to fight ‘brain drain’ and bring brains back home, focusing on youth and tackling labour shortages.
  • An EU Action Plan for Mental Health to make sure all European citizens are aware and are able to take advantage of psychological support, especially in the difficult times we live in.
  • A true Civil Protection Union force linked to strategic reserves of food, medicines and medical equipment, in a spirit of solidarity to prevent and help face disasters in Member States. In this framework, we want to create an operational European Firefighters force, to be swiftly activated whenever a Member State is in need.
  • New EU own resources to finance the next big European projects and to ensure the Recovery Fund repayment does not lead to cuts in EU programmes and fall on our youth. Only with a robust and flexible EU budget can we support people’s needs and be able to adjust to current and future challenges.
  • A fully European Postal Services limiting the cost of deliveries all around Europe. For citizens and our businesses, it should be as easy to send a parcel to any EU Member State as it is at the national level.

Strengthening

  • Our workers’ rights in the digital age, with a European Workers’ Guarantee for the Digital Market, to strengthen our welfare states, empower trade unions, and ensure quality jobs all over Europe.
  • The European fight against unemployment by building upon the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic with a readiness to reactivate SURE under a similar crisis. Also reinforcing the European Social Fund and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced workers.
  • European families with policies that help young couples to start their lives together, allow parents to find the right balance between their professional careers and family duties with affordable childcare, and ensure children spend enough quality time with their parents.
  • Solidarity in the climate transition by extending the Just Transition Fund to help our regions support citizens to realise necessary investments in the isolation of their home, the modification of their means of transport and their consumption habits.
  • European cohesion policy: there should be no first and second-class citizens. Hence, we want to strengthen regional investments through the EU budget to close economic, social and territorial disparities. We also want to promote a European plan for rural areas.
  • Our Common European Asylum System (CEAS) with greater fair sharing of responsibilities among EU Member States, particularly regarding the reception and redistribution of asylum seekers and refugees in order to alleviate pressure from states of first entry.
  • Our partnership with the African continent with a mutually beneficial EU-Africa Strategy to boost trade, investments, job creation, respond to the environmental challenge, ensure food security, tackle root causes of migration, ensure the efficiency of aid, and facilitate lasting peace and security.
publications 27.03.2024

Modernisation agenda

Explore the priorities of the EPP Group's Modernisation Agenda for a united and secure Europe with economic strength and social responsibility. We want to ensure that every European, regardless of their background, has a fair chance to earn a living...

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