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European Semester Spring Package Sets Recommendations on Employment and Social Protection of Persons With Disabilities

On 4 June, the European Commission (EC) published the European Semester Spring package. The 2025 Spring Package is part of the European Semester, the EU’s tool for coordinating and monitoring economic and social policies. This particular Spring package reflected the new EU Competitiveness Compass, underlining that competitiveness is a central aim for the EC in the next five years.

It included (within other documents):

  • a communication on the main elements of the European Semester Spring Package
  • country reports identifying Member States’ main economic, employment and social challenges affecting competitiveness and prosperity;
  • country-specific recommendations for policy actions to tackle reform and investment needs;
  • a proposal for a renewal of the guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. 

In particular, country recommendations included key topics such as the employment of persons with disabilities, – the disability employment gap in the EU remaining at 24 pps, and half of Member States having set up quantitative employment targets for persons with disabilities. Additionally, Belgium, Bulgaria and Ireland – received recommendations regarding the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market.

They also included challenges for persons with disabilities, such as social exclusion, poverty, access to education and re-skilling. Country recommendations also underlined the existing labour shortages in the care and healthcare sectors in several member states, and the importance of strengthening such sectors in the coming years. Estonia, for instance, received a recommendation on the adequacy of its social protection schemes for persons with disabilities.

In sum, although the Spring package set a focus on competitiveness, the number of country-specific recommendations related to social policy, and in particular, related to disability, has increased compared to previous years.

2025 European Semester Spring Package available here.

European Semester Documents (including country recommendations) available here.

Questions and Answers on the 2025 European Semester Spring Package available here.