Strong public services for a prosperous Europe: building on

Jessie Bernard

As former Commission President Jacques Delors noted in 2016, "if European policies jeopardise cohesion and sacrifice social standards, the European project has no chance of winning the support of European citizens".5 The objectives of the single market should therefore align with both freedom of movement and the freedom to stay in the community of one's choice. [...] Implement existing rights, prioritise affordability of public services and involve people in decision making The treaty of the functioning of the EU (Article 14), the charter of fundamental rights (Article 36) and the European pillar of social rights already enshrine clear fundamental rights, freedoms and principles for social protection and social inclusion. [...] • Comprehensive data gathering on social impacts of the climate crisis: We argue, that in the revision of the climate governance regulation, the Commission should propose enhancing data collection related to the social impacts of the climate crisis, particularly in vulnerable communities. [...] • Policies to support construction and availability of affordable housing: Letta proposes that the action plan on housing would suggest revisions to existing EU regulations and policies to better support the construction and availability of affordable housing. [...] • Green and social criteria and conditions: We argue that the public procurement must introduce mandatory green and social criteria and conditions in public procurement processes, ensuring that all public contracts contribute to environmental sustainability and social equity.