Economic and social convergence is essential for the European Union and for its political acceptability: divergence in social outcomes and in economic performance undermine the promises of shared prosperity - central to the very creation of the European Union. With a view to the construction of resilient societies, restoring economic and social convergence is now a top policy priority and with the assumption that economic and social convergence should be fully aligned, there is a window of opportunity for re-starting the engine of the ‘convergence machine’ of the European Union.
In December, the discussions on the reform of Economic and Monetary Union will commence while the European Pillar of Social Rights will be proclaimed at the #SocialSummit17 in Gothenburg. At this critical juncture for the EU #DublinForum17, the Eurofound Foundation Forum 2017, brought together high-level policymakers, social partners and academics to explore these issues.
This document lists some key messages that emerged from the discussions. These messages do not necessarily represent the views of Eurofound or its Governing Board.
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Converging economies, diverging societies? Upward convergence in the EU - Foundation Forum 2017
14 November 2017
