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EPR Responds to Consultation on the Upcoming European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan

In September 2025, EPR submitted input to a call for evidence* regarding the European Commission’s upcoming European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (EPSR AP), as we explained in a previous article (available here). 

To recall, the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) sets out 20 key principles guiding the EU towards a stronger social Europe. Such principles include the Inclusion of people with disabilities (principle 17), Education, training and life-long learning (principle 1), equal opportunities (principle 3), a Healthy, safe and well-adapted work environment (principle 10), social protection (principle 12), healthcare (principle 16), and long-term care (principle 18).

In 2021, the European Commission published the 2021 EPSR AP to implement the EPSR principles across the EU through key actions, such as the EU Disability Strategy (2021-2030), or the European Care Strategy. In the European Commission’s 2025 Work Programme**, the new EPSR AP was included, disclosing that its publication can be expected in Q4 2025.

Ahead of the drafting of the new EPSR AP, the European Commission opened a call for evidence, to which EPR participated underlining the following:

  • The need for the EPSR AP to be strongly aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and to include the update of the EU Disability Strategy with new 2025-2030 initiatives.
  • The need to ensure the Union of Skills aligns with the EPSR, and making sure that it considers the inclusion of persons with disabilities across all its initiatives, as well as the role of service providers.
  • The need to ensure the Quality Jobs Roadmap also aligns with the EPSR, and making sure it guarantees quality jobs for persons with disabilities and for the sector of services for persons with disabilities.

*The definition of call for evidence is available at the EPR Knowledge Hub Glossary of key EU policy terms, here.

** The European Commission Work Programme is the document that sets out the list of most important new policy and legislative initiatives the European Commission will take in the year ahead.
EPR contribution to the EPSR AP call for evidence available here.