A renewed commitment to social rights:
What has the European Pillar of Social Rights achieved for families, care and work-life balance?
COFACE Families Europe Assessment – November 2026
As the European Pillar of Social Rights (Pillar) continues to evolve, COFACE remains actively engaged in supporting implementation of key initiatives related to family wellbeing, and in shaping future actions. In 2025, COFACE contributed to the European Commission’s public consultation on the new European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, bringing the perspective of families into the discussion on the next phase of implementation. Through ongoing policy advocacy, dialogue with EU institutions and collaboration with its network of member organisations representing all types of families, COFACE works to ensure that the
voices and experiences of families continue to inform Europe’s social agenda. By contributing to both the implementation and the future development of the Pillar, COFACE supports the ambition of building a more inclusive, resilient and family-friendly Europe.
This assessment takes a close look at the 2026 Communication of the European Commission on the European Pillar of Social Rights and focuses on specific aspects relevant to COFACE Families Europe: progress of the EU on strengthening the social rights of families, and key new actions identified in the Communication which are relevant to help families reconcile their work and care responsibilities.
The starting point for the 2026 Commission Communication is the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan adopted in 2021, which aims to turn the 20 Principles of the Pillar into concrete actions to benefit citizens. It proposed headline targets for the EU to reach by 2030.
1.At least 78% of the population aged 20 to 64 should be in employment by 2030.
2.At least 60% of all adults should be participating in training every year by 2030.
3.A reduction of at least 15 million in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2030.
To help achieve these targets (including their sub-targets), Member States adopted national targets that reflect their specific circumstances while contributing to the EU-wide goals. Progress is monitored through the European Semester and the Social Scoreboard, helping to ensure that commitments are translated into concrete action across Europe.
The 2026 Commission Communication builds on this data to review progress in strengthening social rights across the EU and sets out clear priorities for further action where more needs to be done. This COFACE assessment starts by highlighting key initiatives of the 2021 Action plan to support families, which form the basis for the Commission’s 2026 assessment (section 2). It then draws out data from the 2026 Communication (and its accompanying Staff Working Document) to illustrate the impact and progress made until now (section 3). The next step is then to identify the new planned actions of the European Commission which are relevant for families, as well as initiatives that will be strengthened in the coming years (section 4). Finally, the assessment concludes with recommendations to step up efforts to reach the 2030 targets and ensure that the Pillar has a meaningful impact on families.
