Programme

Joint public Hearing on the

New Action Plan on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the EU Anti-poverty Strategy

16 April 2025, 9:00 – 13:00

EESC, Room VMA 23, Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1000 Brussels & remotely

This joint public hearing is being organised as part of preparations for two related opinions. Firstly, it will gather insights from organised civil society on progress with, and the challenges of, implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), and will involve collecting proposals for the upcoming new EPSR Action Plan. Secondly, the hearing will also discuss the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, including the role of the social partners and other civil society organisations in shaping policies and measures to combat poverty and social exclusion within the EPSR framework.

Draft programme

09:00 - 09.15 | Welcome and introduction by Sophia Reisecker (EESC) and Krzysztof Balon (EESC)

09:15 - 10:30 | Panel I - New Action Plan on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights

Chair: Cristian Pîrvulescu (EESC)

Interventions by:

• Valentina Guerra (Director, SMEunited) and Anna Kwiatkiewicz (Senior Adviser, BusinessEurope)
• Giovanni Casale (Senior Policy Adviser, ETUC)
• Laura de Bonfils (Secretary General, Social Platform)
• Denis Genton (Director, European Commission – DG EMPL) 
• Martin Clarke (Senior Researcher/Advisor, PANTEIA) and Charlotte Byrne (Researcher/Advisor, PANTEIA)

10:30 - 11:00 | Q&A

11:00 - 11:15 | Break

11:15 - 12:30 | Panel II - The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy

Chaired by Christa Schweng (EESC)

Interventions by:

• Olivier De Schutter (UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights)
• Olivier Bontout (Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission – DG EMPL) and Ragnar Horn (Team Leader, European Commission – DG EMPL)
• João Oliveira (Member, European Parliament)
• Caroline Mancel (Chair, European Network of Public Employment Services)
• Ane Aranguiz (Assistant Professor, Tilburg University)
• Jessica Machacova (Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer, European Anti-Poverty Network)

12:30 - 13:00 | Q&A

Interpretation regime:

Participants can speak in: French, German, Italian, English, Lithuanian and Polish

Participants can listen to: French, German, English, Lithuanian and Polish