Reflecting on Porto’s Social Ambitions At the opening of the Porto Social Forum on 18 September 2025, Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu revisited the Porto targets established four years ago, emphasizing their continuing relevance. While lauding achievements in employment—an almost 76% rate against a 78% target and 7 million more employed since 2019—she underscored slower progress in adult training (40% participation vs. 60% target) and persistent poverty, with 93 million Europeans still at risk.
Quality Jobs and Labour Mobility Mînzatu outlined new initiatives aiming to revitalize Europe’s social agenda amid geopolitical and economic shifts. Central is a forthcoming Quality Jobs Roadmap with three pillars: strengthening labour rights, leveraging digital innovation without sacrificing job security, and supporting transitions for workers and employers. This roadmap will feature a Quality Jobs Act to be presented in the near term, pushing for fair pay, safe work conditions, and dignity particularly for vulnerable workers.
Additionally, she announced a Labour Mobility Package for 2026 addressing barriers in recognising professional qualifications and ensuring fair rights for mobile workers, including protected pay and social safeguards to prevent social dumping and unfair competition. This initiative seeks to deepen Single Market integration by balancing opportunity with protection.
Policy Directions and Potential Impacts Mînzatu’s proposals signify a move towards increasing EU-level intervention, strengthening workers’ protections, and enhancing social rights enforcement while fostering competitiveness through skill development and mobility. Employers in sectors affected by labour mobility rules may face increased compliance demands, while workers could benefit from greater protection and opportunities across borders. National authorities will likely need to coordinate more closely on qualifications recognition. EU consumers might indirectly gain from a more stable and skilled workforce. Meanwhile, social partners and civil society have a defined role in shaping these strategies, reflecting a collaborative approach.
The speech signals an integrated vision where social welfare is not a trade-off but a driver of economic strength in Europe’s evolving global context.
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