OREANDA-NEWS. Today, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, appointed Allan Larsson as Special Adviser for the European Pillar of Social Rights.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: "As announced in my State of the Union address, I want to develop a European Pillar of Social Rights, which takes account of the changing realities of the world of work. The Pillar should complement what we have already jointly achieved when it comes to the protection of workers in the EU. And I believe we do well to start with this initiative within the euro area, while allowing other EU Member States to join in if they want to do so. Allan Larsson has a unique experience and knowledge in this field, both at European and international level. I am very pleased to be able to count on his expertise and to have him as ambassador for this key initiative".

Mr Larsson, who has extensive policy experience at national, European and international levels, as well as in academia, will assist President Juncker and the College of Commissioners in drawing up and launching a broad consultation on the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Pillar is expected to be a self-standing reference document, of a legal nature, setting out key principles and values shared at EU level. In turn, this should serve as a framework to screen employment and social performance in the light of changing work patterns and societies.

Mr Larsson was the first Swedish Director-General of the European Commission, in charge of managing the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion from the time of Sweden's accession to the European Union in 1995 to 2000, where he contributed, inter alia, to launching the European Employment Strategy. Mr Larsson joined the European Commission after a career in national politics, having served as Finance Minister of Sweden (1990 and 1991) and as a Member of the Swedish Parliament (1991-1995). He was previously Director General of the Swedish Labour Market Administration.  

Following his retirement from the Commission in 2000, Mr Larsson has held several international assignments, including at the OECD Round Table on Sustainable Development, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Secretary General's High Level Panel on Youth Employment. Mr Larsson will not be paid for his role. His full CV is available online.