The S&D Group has been unwavering in its efforts throughout the 2019-2024 mandate, a five-year span marked by pivotal decisions and significant milestones that reverberated across the European political landscape. As one of the largest political groups in the European Parliament, we have played an instrumental role in shaping policies and legislation aimed at addressing pressing issues, advancing social progress and championing a more inclusive and sustainable future. Below, we summarise these achievements – plus further demands we have made to the Commission – offering a snapshot of the work undertaken during this crucial period.
* denotes work in progress – expected to be finalised this legislature
Making Social Rights a Reality
Achievements
- Action plan on European Pillar of Social Rights
- Adequate minimum wages for all Europeans
- Protecting workers from the risks of asbestos and carcinogens
- Protecting children from poverty with a Child Guarantee
- Protecting the rights of platform workers
Demands
- Regulating the use of artificial intelligence at the workplace
- Adequate minimum income schemes across the EU
- Protecting the rights of workers at cross-border companies
- Banning unpaid traineeships
- Improving social security coordination for cross-border workers
- Strengthening your right to disconnect
Protecting People and Planet with the Green Deal
Achievements
- Ambitious Climate Law to reduce CO2 emissions
- Reducing CO2 emissions with an ambitious Fit for 55 package in industry, maritime, road, transport, buildings and the agricultural sector
- Establishing a Social Climate Fund to leave no one behind
- Protecting our soil*
- Punishing environmental crimes
- Improving our air quality
- Boosting renewable energy production
- Improving energy efficiency
- Putting social and sustainability criteria into the EU’s agricultural policy*
Demands
- Improving the protection of our health and environment from dangerous chemicals
- Monitoring the social impact of the Green Deal’s implementation to ensure a just transition
- Reducing pesticides
Fighting for Women's Rights
Achievements
- Women on company boards to put more women in top positions
- Pay Transparency to end the gender pay gap
- Ratification of the Istanbul Convention to better protect women
- Combatting violence against women*
Demands
- Enshrining the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Making gender-based violence, including sexist hate speech, an EU crime
- Recognising non-consensual sex as rape in all EU countries
Building a Fair Economy for All
Achievements
- Reforming EU fiscal rules
- Minimum effective tax rate for multinationals
- Tax transparency for multinationals
- One common charger for all devices
- Setting rules to tame the ‘digital wild west’
- Obliging companies to disclose their environmental and social footprint
- Right to Repair for consumers
- Putting humans and their rights at the heart of artificial intelligence
- Strengthening EU banks’ resilience and greening investments
- New rules to combat money-laundering
- Making products more sustainable
Demands
- Boosting European chips production
- Protecting consumers in retail investment
- Better rules for crypto currencies
- Sustainable public procurement
- Setting up a permanent European investment tool to ensure resources needed to realise the green and digital transitions and tackle other challenges
Promoting Rule of Law and Democracy
Achievements
- Making EU funds conditional on respect for the Rule of Law
- Annual Rule of Law Report
- Defending media freedom and protecting journalists
- Opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia
- Granting candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
Demands
- Improving the Rule of Law Mechanism
- Right of Initiative for the European Parliament
- More vigorous EU Ethics Body
- Continue EU enlargement
Strengthening International Solidarity
Achievements
- Investing in equal partnerships and multilateralism
- Putting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track
- Putting environment, climate, human and worker’s rights at the heart of the EU’s trade policy
- Making companies take responsibility for the impact of their activities on human rights and the environment
- Banning products made by forced labour from entering our market*
- Making extractive industries in developing countries more sustainable
- The EU human rights sanctions regime
- Building connections around the world with Global Gateway
- The EU Global Health Strategy
- A New Pact on Migration and Asylum to move away from crisis mode to a permanent and sustainable strategy
Demands
- Establish an EU Search and Rescue Mission
- Stop the outsourcing of our external migration policy to third countries at the expense of human rights
Standing with People During the Pandemic
Achievements
- Recovery and Resilience Facility to keep our economies and societies afloat
- Temporary unemployment scheme to help people
- Cohesion policy to make sure no one and no region is left behind
- Use of EU Cohesion funds during the pandemic to help people during unemployment, to provide medical equipment, to support SMEs and to invest in digitalisation
- Preparing an EU response for future health threats
- Introducing new own resources for the EU budget to have the means for our ambitions*
Demands
- Health Union
- Protecting mental health
Supporting Ukraine against Russia's war of Aggression
Achievements
- Securing an effective and unified EU response to Russia’s war of aggression
- Supporting Ukraine with humanitarian, military and economic means
- Promoting accountability for Russia’s war crimes and war of aggression
- Sanctions against Russia
- Addressing rising prices and cost of living for EU citizens and businesses
- Boosting energy security and independence
- The Strategic Compass to boost EU’s security and defence
- Supporting EU defence industry through smarter spending and joint procurement
Demands
- Further strengthening Europe’s Open Strategic Autonomy
- Confiscating Russian public assets for reconstructing Ukraine
- Achieving genuine European defence integration