Social Justice Ireland's latest study presented to EU's Economic and Social Committee

Social Justice Ireland today (April 4, 2016) presents its latest EU-wide study to the EU's Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. Entitled 'Europe: A Union for the Powerless as well as the Powerful' it analyses what has been happening in all 28 EU countries on issues such as poverty, unemployment, services and taxation.

It concludes that there has been a profound failure of policy across the EU since the 2008 crash, a failure that raises serious questions concerning the EU's commitment to protecting its millions of powerless and vulnerable people. The study makes a series of proposals and recommendations at local, NGO, national and EU levels, aimed at ensuring a more sustainable and inclusive future for all European citizens.

This study is the ninth publication in Social Justice Ireland's European Research Series. In presenting it to EESC's Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (made up of employers, trade unionists and other civil society organisations from across the EU), Social Justice Ireland hopes this report can make a timely and significant contribution to the launch of the consultation on a European Pillar of Social Rights. Areas addressed in the research that have major relevance to the Pillar of Social Rights include: minimum income schemes, the Living Wage, Basic Income schemes, the changing nature of work, adequate investment, access to quality services, representation and sustainability.

The full study may be accessed here.