AVAILABLE AT: https://www.etui.org/events/new-date-new-beginnings-the-european-pillar-of-social-rights-and-the-new-commission The idea behind this conference is to explore the potential, but also the challenges, of outlining an EU social agenda that is mainly based on the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). While the Pillar establishes crucial programmatic principles for the development of the social dimension of the EU, it was first conceived as part of the previous Commission’s strategy to deepen and strengthen economic and monetary integration. The rationale of the Pillar is therefore twofold: to establish social and labour standards, but also to support a growth-enhancing agenda. The aim of the conference is to provide a multidimensional analysis of the Social Pillar. The first session will address the role of Pillar within the system of EU economic governance and invite us to reflect on the implications thereof. The second session will take the format of a political debate, in which the opportunities and weakness of the Pillar will be outlined and discussed. The third session will be dedicated to the labour and social policy initiatives that have been adopted and will be developed via the implementation of the Pillar. 10:30-12:00 The EPSR and its contextualization into the economic realm Chair: Philippe Pochet, ETUI - Francesco Corti (University of Milan and CEPS)- The EPSR in the EU economic governance after Covid-19: from the General Escape clause to Next Generation EU - Frank Hendrickx (KU Leuven)- Overcoming the paradoxes of European labour law: the EPSR in political Europe, see also here - Sotiria Theodoropoulou (ETUI)- Developing the social dimension of the E(M)U: how to take forward the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights - Silvia Rainone (ETUI)- The EPSR: placing EU social and labour policies within a growth- enhancing agenda Q&A 12:30-14:00 Political debate: EPSR – quo vadis? Chair: Aline Hoffmann, ETUI Liina Carr (ETUC); Rebekah Smith (BusinessEurope); Katia Berti (European Commission) 14:15 – 15:30 The EPSR and the way forward for social Europe Chair: Nicola Countouris, Director of the Research Department, ETUI - Tonia Novitz (University of Bristol Law School)- A place for collective labour rights in a sustainable 'Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions’ - Luca Ratti (Université du Luxembourg)- Working, yet poor and the EPSR: how in-work poverty became the priority for EU labour law and social policy - Paolo Roberto Graziano (Università degli Studi di Padova)- The end or the relaunch of Social Europe? Reflections on the current state of EU social policy affairs Q&A 15:30 Closing remarks Nicola Countouris, Director of the Research Department, ETUI