Social affairs and India in focus This WEEK (original) (raw)

As the EU prepares to roll out vaccine certificates for the summer, and as member states put forward their plans for a post-pandemic economic recovery, EU leaders’ attention will turn towards the social impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Portuguese EU presidency has been keen to put social affairs back on the main agenda of the bloc, and are organising a social summit on Friday (7 May).

The aim is to refocus efforts on the so-called social pillar of the EU, tackle unemployment, training, social protection, and poverty.

The social summit will take place in Porto, where then on Saturday EU leaders are expected to gather for an informal summit.

Leaders will look at the EU Commission’s action plan, which sets three targets for 2030.

These are reaching an employment rate of at least 78 percent in the EU, getting at least 60 percent of adults to attend training courses every year, a reduction in the number of people at risk of social exclusion or poverty by at least 15 million people, including five million children.

Leaders will also discuss how to support young people who have been hit by the Covid-19 crisis.