Study - European Pillar of Social Rights – state of play in 2024

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is planning to launch a procurement procedure for a study on European Pillar of Social Rights – state of play in 2024.

WHAT IS THIS PUBLICITY ABOUT?

This announcement is made pursuant to Annex I.14 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and aims to award a low value contract for a study as a result of a negotiated procurement procedure. It is published in advance of the procurement procedure with basic information on the subject matter of the contract in order to enable economic operators to express an interest in participating as tenderers in the subsequent procurement procedure.

DESCRIPTION

The European Commission plans to review the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Action Plan in 2025. This will provide a basis for further action at EU level with a view to achieving the 2030 EU targets and is a milestone in terms of social policy monitoring in Europe. The EESC has been a frontrunner in the Social Pillar, providing input for the design of the Pillar itself and of its Action Plan in the form of own-initiative and referral opinions. For the Workers Group in particular, many of the initiatives devised by the Action Plan were key priorities. However, there is a considerable distance between initial plans and actual legislative developments, as well as between legislative developments and implementation and enforcement.

This study aims to take stock of and evaluate certain EPSR initiatives that have already been adopted at EU level. It will also consider what improvements could be made to enhance implementation and enforcement and identify current legislative gaps in those areas. At a minimum, the study should cover the following legislation (the tender may make additional proposals):

- The Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive

- The Adequate Minimum Wages Directive

- The Work-Life Balance Directive

- The Gender Balance on Company Boards Directive

The purpose of the study is to evaluate both the transposition and implementation in each Member State of the directive (or the lack thereof) and the reasoning behind it, and the enforcement challenges encountered. The study should also contribute to the body of knowledge on implementation and enforcement theories at European level (for instance as regards the establishment of European Administrative Networks and other forms of cooperation between the European Commission and the national administrations), enriching the academic discussion on this topic.

The study will help develop the position of the Workers Group on its current priorities (“Pushing for Social Progress”), feed into the EESC’s legislative work in the social field, and assist in the interinstitutional dialogue regarding the EPSR Action Plan and further steps for the next Commission mandate. In this way, the study will also assist the European institutions and stakeholders in improving the implementation of the Action Plan.

TASKS

The study should:

1. Map the key initiatives selected for evaluation and identify the key literature, including legislative developments, studies and forecasts, EESC opinions, evaluations and any relevant developments.
2. Analyse the state of play of the selected initiatives at national level and the rationale behind their development, using the current literature on implementation and enforcement as a starting point.
3. Identify any policy and legislative gaps, as well as the possible challenges and opportunities in each case.
4. Produce country reports with the situation in each national case, according to the variables analysed and the legislation selected.
5. Present the different cases in the EU in a comparative perspective.
6. Provide policy recommendations on specific cases, as well as general recommendations for future legislative developments and other areas not directly covered by the study.

Languages and geographical area

The study must focus on transposition and implementation in all EU Member States. The tender might provide a plan to work at this level, either directly or via a European-level network of contacts that can analyse each Member State.

Indicative timeline

1. Launch of the invitation to tender: 2nd quarter 2024.
2. Deadline for submission of tenders: approximately 2nd quarter 2024.
3. Contract award: 2nd quarter 2024.
4. The final study report is expected within eleven months of the signature of the contract.

WHO MAY EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN BEING INVITED TO THE SUBSEQUENT CALL FOR TENDERS?

Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons established in the European Union (EU) or in a third country which has a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement. This includes:

• All EU Member States;
• Parties to special international agreements with the EU in the field of public procurement:
  • European Economic Area Agreement (EEA): Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein;
  • Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA): North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

HOW TO EXPRESS AN INTEREST?

Entities established in a country that has access to the procurement procedure can express an interest in participating in the planned procedure by filling in and submitting the contact form (see link at the bottom of this page).

DATA PROTECTION

By submitting your contact details, you consent to the EESC processing this personal data in line with this Privacy Statement. To access, change or delete your data at any moment, please contact the data controller by sending an email to studies-eesc@eesc.europa.eu.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that this announcement does not create any obligation for the EESC to launch a procurement procedure. The EESC will take the submitted information into account only to identify potential candidates. Expressing an interest in participating in this type of negotiated procedure does not create any legal right or legitimate expectation on the part of any economic operator, and the EESC has the right to cancel the procedure at any time. The documents of the actual call for tenders (invitation letter, tender specifications and draft contract) will only be provided to the identified candidates when the procedure is launched, and any tender received from a legal or natural person not invited to tender will be rejected.