The European Union has given birth to the so-called European Social Model, meaning that economic freedoms are framed by strong social policies to achieve fair competition, social cohesion and ongoing improvements in the living standards of all citizens.

In the 1957 Treaty establishing the European Community (Treaty of Rome), the founding Member States committed themselves to the “promotion of employment, improved living and working conditions … proper social protection, dialogue between management and labour, the development of human resources…” But in recent years these vital objectives have been sacrificed in favour of commercial and economic interests. That is why the ETUC has been calling for a Social Progress Protocol to the EU Treaties to reaffirm that social rights and citizens’ well-being take precedence over economic freedoms.