Nine EU countries including Bulgaria, Greece and Italy have been singled out for a closer look over potential risks to “upward social convergence.”
The analysis covers Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania and Finland, which were flagged in the 2026 Joint Employment Report as facing possible risks, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.
It examines recent changes and longer-term trends, including what is driving them and how they affect different groups and regions.
The document also reviews policies already in place — or planned — in each country, and assesses whether they are working or whether more action is needed.
The report identifies reducing poverty and social exclusion as a major challenge across all nine countries, with a particular focus on making social transfers more effective at cutting poverty.
It also says four of the countries face low levels of adult learning and basic digital skills, alongside high rates of early school leaving.
Five of the countries have elevated shares of young people not in employment, education or training, while four face challenges linked to low employment and high unemployment.
Countries facing “overall challenges”
Six countries — Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania — were found to face “overall challenges to upward social convergence”, according to the Commission.
The EU executive said it held discussions with trade unions and employers’ organisations before publishing the analysis to gather views and input.
The findings will be discussed with EU countries in the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee, and will feed into the 2026 European Semester Spring Package, which provides member states with tailored recommendations.
The analysis forms part of the EU’s Social Convergence Framework, which assesses risks in labour markets, education and skills, and social policies using a two-stage process that first screens all 27 member states and then examines flagged countries in more detail.
