15. Streamlining open co-ordination in
the field of social protection
| (24615)
10158/03
COM(03) 261
| Commission Communication: Strengthening the social dimension of the Lisbon strategy: streamlining open co-ordination in the field of social protection.
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 27 May 2003
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 11 June 2003
|
| Department | Work and Pensions
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 24 June 2003
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | October 2003
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
15.1 In March, the Brussels European Council invited the Commission
to:
"report on the advisability of simplifying and streamlining
the various strands of work on social protection into a coherent
framework within the open method of co-ordination.[36]
This should clarify how these objectives can be achieved by 2006,
while fully respecting subsidiarity and national competencies
in relation to the organisation and financing of social protection."[37]
This Communication has been prepared in response to that request.
The document
15.2 The Communication is concerned with bringing together the
work currently undertaken within the Social Protection Committee
on social inclusion, pensions and healthcare; streamlining the
cycle of reporting in this area; and establishing the "open
method of co-ordination" across the process.
15.3 The Commission proposes that Member States should agree an
integrated and consistent set of common objectives covering the
three "pillars" of social protection — social
inclusion, pensions, and health and long-term care. These objectives
should also include a few cross-cutting issues: gender mainstreaming
and "making work pay" are put forward as examples.
15.4 A set of commonly agreed indicators reflecting the objectives
should also be produced. These could be based on existing sets
of indicators such as those developed for the social inclusion
process and those currently being developed for the pensions process,
but more work would need to be done, especially in relation to
the social protection of people in need of health and long-term
care. The Commission emphasises that the number of indicators
should be kept as low as possible, noting that there has been
a tendency to expand the number in order to accommodate the different
approaches of different Member States.
15.5 Every three years, Member States would produce national reports
setting out their strategy for meeting the common objectives.
In the intervening years, lighter progress reports would be produced.
The Commission would produce a Joint Social Protection Report
to document and assess progress across the full range of common
objectives.
15.6 This cycle of activity would be synchronised with the agreed
streamlining of the Employment Guidelines and Broad Economic Policy
Guidelines. The preparation of the Joint Social Protection Report
at the same time as the other reporting instruments in the run-up
to the Spring European Council would add useful new material to
the Annual Synthesis Report.
15.7 The Communication envisages the introduction of this streamlined
approach in 2006, although a transitional version of the Joint
Social Protection Report (concentrating on social inclusion and
based on the 2004 National Action Plans) would be produced in
2005. In 2006, the first set of objectives (for the period 2006-2009)
should be agreed by the Council at the same time as the Guideline
package for economic and employment policies. Member States would
then produce their national reports to feed into the preparation
of the 2006 Joint Social Protection Report. This will focus on
pensions. In 2007, the report will reach its final form, covering
the three area of social inclusion, pensions and healthcare.
After 2006, the Member States' national reports will replace the
National Action Plans/inclusion and the National Strategy Reports
on pensions.
15.8 A set of annexes to the Communication tabulates activities
during the transitional period 2003-2005 and the streamlining
cycles thereafter.
The Government's view
15.9 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
(Baroness Hollis) tells us that there will be no direct impact
on UK policies arising from this change in processes. She says:
"The Government welcomes the Commission's aim to ensure the
social dimension is given equal weight with employment and economic
issues. However, the UK will be looking for assurances that the
need for different working methods in different areas of social
protection will be respected. The UK will also wish to ensure
that work on pensions is carried out jointly by the Social Protection
Committee and the Economic Policy Committee."
15.10 The Minister reports that the Italian Presidency has indicated
that it would like an agreement on the way forward at the October
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.
Conclusion
15.11 We support the Minister's view that the need for different
working methods in different areas of social protection should
be respected. In general, however, these seem sensible suggestions
for streamlining and synchronisation.
15.12 We clear the document.
36 See Conclusion 37 of the Lisbon European Council
(March 2000) for a description of this process. Back
37
Conclusion 51. Back
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