European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026

The European Commission’s DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion is organising the fourth edition of its annual flagship event, European Employment and Social Rights Forum. The Forum will take place on 3 and 4 March 2026 in Brussels and online.  

Importantly, this year’s edition will feature a session on the upcoming Social Transformation and Resilience Partnership, entitled “Resilient Societies: Strengthening Social Policy through Research”, scheduled for 4 March, 15.00 – 16.30. 

This interactive session will explore how major social transformations, brought by the green and digital transitions, demographic changes, and unexpected shocks like Russia’s war on Ukraine, are reshaping Europe’s social model, and discuss what are the research needs to make our social systems and labour markets more resilient and inclusive. The discussion will inform the development of the new European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience (STR), which is planned to be launched under Horizon Europe and deliver a strategic research programme from 2027 – 2034, to support policymaking at local, regional, national, and EU level across four key impact areas: 1) Future of work; 2) Social protection and essential services; 3) Education and Skills; 4) Fair transition towards climate neutrality.

The session invites policymakers, social partners, researchers, and civil society actors to provide direct input on two central questions: 

• What should be the top priorities for future research investments to address Europe’s key social challenges? 
• How can we strengthen the bridge between science and policymaking to ensure that research translates into tangible societal impact? 

The 2025 edition was met with great interest and success, attracting over 4500 participants and 70 speakers (see highlights video). If you are interested in attending the event, please register via the following link: Registrations are open here or share it with colleagues who might be interested.