European Union to focus on AI, Quality Jobs, Care and Social Media use in 2027

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European Union to focus on AI, Quality Jobs, Care and Social Media use in 2027

On 16 September 2026, Ursula Von der Leyen, European Commission President, gave her annual State of the Union Address in the European Parliament, in Strasbourg. During her speech, Von der Leyen outlined the upcoming priorities at EU level, including preventing gold-plating of policies by Member States, Europe’s energy independence, climate change, Artificial Intelligence, Preparedness, the European Pillar of Social Rights, trade, defence, international relations.

Although the speech mostly focused in areas not linked to social initiatives, EPR welcomes the following actions:

An upcoming action regarding the use of AI in five key sectors, including health, to be announced in November 2026.
The publication of the Quality Jobs Act by the end of 2026.
The unveiling of the European Care Deal in 2027.
A summit to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the European Pillar of Social Rights* organised by the European Commission and the Council of the EU.
A European KIDS Act, proposed on 17 September 2026, banning the use of social media for children under the age of 13, and having a personal account under the age of 15.
A Digital Fairness Act to be proposed in autumn 2026 to prevent addictive design of online platforms.

2026 State of the Union address available here.

Documents linked to 2026 State of the Union address available here.

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