Social protection in Europe

European Commission Directorate-General For Employment Social Affairs And Inclusion

Description

Social protection and social security

Sujets

• Comparison
• Social security
• Member state of the European Union

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-EMPLOYMENT_SOCIAL-AFFAIRS-AND-INCLUS
• Nombre de lectures: 45
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 29 Mo

Extrait

i? * Λ
1995
European Commission :V Directorate-General Employment,
Industrial Relations and Social Affairs
* * * Social protection
in Europe
ft * ft
ft ft
1995
European Commission Directorate-General Employment,
Industrial Relations and Social Affairs
ft Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995
ISBN 92-827-5497-9
© ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1995
Reproduction Is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided the
source is acknowledged.
Printed in Italy Foreword
Foreword
improve it, seeing it is an essential ocial protection has become make more informed choices about Sa major issue for debate in means of maintaining social cohe­ policies and courses of action.
Member States. Slow economic sion.
growth, the persistence of high un­
The report confirms the analysis employment, an ageing population,
Following a Commission proposal, the problems of controlling the which led the Commission in 1991 to
the Council three years ago adopted growth of health expenditure, all im­ propose a strategy of convergence of
two recommendations to Member pose strong pressure on systems of objectives and policies. It shows
States, one on the convergence of social protection and their financing. clearly that beyond the differences
objectives and policies, the other which exist in the organisation of the
on common criteria concerning suf­ various national systems, the prob­
At the same time, there are more fun­ ficient resources and social assist­ lems which confront them are very
damental questions about the role ance in social protection systems. In largely the same: to restructure the
and purpose of social protection in the text of these two recommenda­ financing of social protection to alle­
European societies. On the one hand, tions the Union reaffirmed that each viate the indirect costs on employ­
social insurance is regarded as being Member State remained solely re­ ment — particularly on that of
too costly for our economies, impos­ sponsible for the design, organisation low-paid workers — while maintain­
ing a heavy burden on labour costs and financing of its own social pro­ ing where necessary some element of
especially. On the other hand, the tection system, but defined common contribution; to redefine the condi­
unquestionable success of systems in objectives as a guide to national pol­ tions governing retirement and the
combating poverty is considered in­ icy in this area. At the same time, the calculation of pensions to enable
sufficient and there is a demand for Council asked the Commission to pension schemes to adapt to the sig­
social protection in future to do more, 'submit regular reports (to it) on pro­ nificant ageing of the population
to be a force for integrating those gress achieved in relation to the ob- which is in prospect; to reform health
threatened by exclusion into society jectives set out (in the systems in order to contain the
and, in particular, into the labour recommendation) and to determine growth in their costs while maintain­
market. and to develop, in cooperation with ing quality and equal access of all to
the Member States, the use of appro­ treatment and preventative care; to
priate criteria for that purpose'. organise systems of income support A large majority in Europe, however,
for the unemployed to prevent them regard social protection as a major
being trapped in unemployment, to achievement of modern society and
give them a financial incentive to believe that it is the responsibility of The present report is the second
look for work and undertake active society — and specifically of the presented by the Commission in re­
measures of assistance to help them state — to ensure that no-one is left sponse to this request, the first having
find a job; to target expenditure without support if they are poor, sick been published in 1993. As before, I
where appropriate more on those or disabled. Public opinion polls hope that it is widely disseminated so
who are most in need without crea­show that European citizens, over­ that it can help those involved in the
ting a 'poverty trap' andt alie­whelmingly, are attached to the pres­ management and provision of social
nating public support for the system ent system and wish to preserve and protection in the Member States to
-3 Foreword
of income transfers: to achieve a bal­ administration is likely to be. The This is why the Commission has
first report tried to provide some in­ proposed that the Community ance between statutory protection,
sights into this question. Because of institutions and the Member States obligatory for all, and supplementary
the lack of new information, how­ should join in a process of common protection that maintains social cohe­
ever, we have not been able to go any reflection on the future actions which sion while responding to the growing
further here. Nevertheless, the new might be taken to make social protec­need for flexibility in modern econ­
statistical tool which Eurostat has de­ tion systems more favourable to em­omies.
veloped in collaboration with na­ ployment and more efficient. While
tional statistical offices — the this is a medium-term process, it This report contains new insights into
European Household Panel Survey needs to begin without delay. I all of these problems — and a few
— should hopefully enable us very believe that this second Social others — focusing, in particular, on
soon to throw more light on this ques­ Protection in Europe report will the major changes which have oc­
tion. prove an invaluable point of depar­curred in Member States since the
ture for this joint reflection. beginning of the 1990s. An analysis
of these is presented in Chapter 2,
At the same time as it published this
after describing in Chapter 1 themain
report, the European Commission
features of the different systems. The
proposed a new initiative to the
most recent Eurostat figures on social
Council and the European Parlia­
protection expenditure and receipts
ment — The future of social protec­
are analysed in Chapter 3, while
tion: a framework for debate
Chapter 4 examines the benefits and
(COM(95) 466). While reiterating
assistance payable to the unem­
that each Member State should re­
ployed and their families, in various
main responsible for its own system
circumstances, in relation to their
of social protection, for determining
earnings when they were working.
its scope, sources of finance and its
The final three chapters are devoted
operation and for defining the level
to a detailed review of selected
of benefits as well as the conditions
issues: recent health system reforms
for eligibility, we believe that the
(Chapter 5), social protection for the
time has come to intensify the dis­
self-employed (Chapter 6) and the
cussion of future developments in
effect on social protection entitle­
this area at the European level. There
ments of interrupting paid employ­
are considerable advantages in the
ment to take care of a child or
future of social protection in the
dependent relative (Chapter 7).
Union being widely discussed in a
coordinated way. Since Member
States are facing common challenges There are, as always, aspects which
in this area, they can only gain from are not covered in the report. I would
cooperating with each other to ident­draw attention to one in particular
ify common potential solutions. which seems important to me. This
Moreover, since the Union has re­concerns the impact of social trans­
sponsibility for the free movement of fers on the income and living condi­
people, the unrestricted supply of tions of those who receive them and,
services and competition in general, especially, on the alleviation of pov­
it has a keen interest in promoting an erty. A key question is how far it is
integrated approach so that social ob­possible to target payments on people
jectives are taken into account when most in need and what the price in
these issues are considered. terms of complexity and the costs of Padraig Flynn
4-Table of contents
Table of contents
Foreword
Summary and conclusions
Chapter 1 Systems of social protection in the Union
Chapter 2 Adapting to change: recent reforms
and key developments
Chapter 3 Trends in social protection and its financing
Chapter 4 Unemployment compensation and incentives
to look for work
Chapter 5 Reforms in health care
Chapter 6 Social protection and the self-employed
Social protection and caring responsibilities Chapter 7
Sources and methodology
- 5 Table of contents
6-Summary and conclusions
Summary and conclusions
he development of extensive when the systems were designed. any of the other risks covered. At the Tsystems of social protection to The costs of maintaining the systems same time, in most Member States, a
support