New EESC report shows uneven progress on key EU social rights directives -- Key lessons for the EU
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has published a new study carried out by Panteia, assessing the state of implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) as of 2024, providing a snapshot of progress, gaps and pathways ahead. The report evaluates four core directives — on transparent and predictable working conditions, work-life balance, adequate minimum wages, and gender balance on company boards — across 14 EU Member States.
The report notes that whilst some Member States have moved beyond mere transposition of the directives to more ambitious national measures, many others lag behind, with key challenges in enforcement, institutional capacity, and coverage of non-standard workers. Some of the study’s core findings include:
- Delays and partial transposition: Several countries are behind schedule or have only partially transposed certain directive provisions, limiting legal certainty and protection.
- Uneven enforcement and institutional strength: Even where laws are on the books, enforcement bodies lack sufficient resources or authority, reducing real-world impact.
- Coverage gaps for non-standard work: Many protections still fail to reach groups in flexible, gig or atypical employment contracts, perpetuating inequality in rights.
- Role of national models and political will: The report underscores how national labour market traditions, political commitment, and stakeholder engagement shape implementation success.
The authors caution that without closing implementation and enforcement gaps, the EPSR’s ambitions risk decoupling from the lived social realities of many European citizens.
To steer progress toward the EPSR’s 2030 social goals, the report advances several recommendations:
- Strengthen monitoring and peer review at EU level to ensure accountability and spotlight lagging countries.
- Bolster institutional capacity and resources for labour inspectorates and social enforcement agencies at national level.
- Expand coverage and adaptability of protections to non-standard work forms.
- Encourage stakeholder engagement (workers, employers, civil society) in the design and rollout of directives.
- Explore legislative gaps or overlaps and align implementation with broader EU social objectives.
The study is explicitly intended to inform the 2025 review of the EPSR Action Plan and to guide future social policy decisions at EU level.
This report presents a timely evidence base for advising on social policy, economic modelling of protection extension, and assessing the fiscal and social returns of deeper integration of EPSR objectives.
“This report is a crucial checkpoint for the European Pillar of Social Rights. It goes beyond legal transposition to reveal where the real test lies — in implementation, enforcement and impact. As the EU prepares for the 2025 Action Plan discussions, these findings provide essential guidance. They remind us that Europe’s social ambitions will only be realised if principles are matched with concrete progress for people in their daily lives.” – Martin Clarke, Panteia
Read the full study here.
