RESISTIRE Factsheet: Striving for Social Justice: Vulnerable Groups in the Recovery Policies

Most of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) focused their attention on the economy and finance, support for business, the construction of infrastructures, and economic stabilisation. In most cases the design process of the plans was based on consultations with organisations involved in the production, labour, and economic sectors. Insufficient importance was assigned to engaging with actors representing the interests of vulnerable groups. As a result, even though the European Commission's guide on how to prepare the plans clearly stated the importance of recognising and addressing women and vulnerable groups, in conformity with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, most of the NRRPs lack concrete measures targeting vulnerable groups and address different inequality grounds in cursory terms only. The failure to address gender+ vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the policy design process means that there is a risk that the NRRPs will not only fail to achieve their set goals, but that their measures will further aggravate the situation of these groups.