18 STREAMLINING THE OPEN METHOD
OF COORDINATION FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICIES
(27150)
5070/06
COM(05) 706
| Commission Communication: Working together, working better: a new framework for the open coordination of social protection and inclusion policies in the European Union
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| Legal base | —
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| Document originated | 22 December 2005
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| Deposited in Parliament |
11 January 2006 |
| Department | Work and Pensions
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| Basis of consideration |
EM of 23 January 2006 |
| Previous Committee Report |
None; but see HC 63-xxviii (2002-03), para 15 (2 July 2003)
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| To be discussed in Council
| No date set |
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared; but further information requested
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Background
18.1 In July 2003, the previous Committee considered proposals
from the Commission for streamlining the open method of coordination
in the field of social protection.[31]
18.2 The "open method of coordination"
(OMC) was introduced by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000.[32]
The European Council described it as a process "designed
to help Member States to progressively develop their own policies"
through:
- agreeing European guidelines and timetables for
short-, medium- and long-term goals;
- setting quantitative and qualitative indicators
and benchmarks;
- translating the European guidelines into national
and regional policies; and
- and periodically monitoring and evaluating progress.
The OMC is not underpinned by EC legislation; it
is a voluntary process for sharing information and good practice,
recognising that Member States have the primary responsibility
for social protection.
18.3 "Social protection" is the collective
term for policies on pensions, social inclusion and healthcare
and long-term care.
18.4 The Communication the previous Committee scrutinised
in 2003 proposed that Member States should:
- agree a set of common objectives for the three
pillars of social protection;
- set common indicators; and
- produce reports every three years on their strategies
for achieving the common objectives and make progress reports
in the intervening years.
Every year, the Council and the Commission would
send the Spring European Council a Joint Report on Social Protection.
The production of the Joint Report would be synchronised with
the production of the European Employment Guidelines and the Broad
Economic Policy Guidelines (now known as the Integrated Guidelines
for Growth and Jobs). The Commission also proposed that the first
set of common objectives for social protection should be agreed
in 2006.
18.5 The previous Committee concluded that, in general,
the Commission's suggestions seemed sensible.
18.6 In July 2003, the Employment and Social Policy
Council supported most of the Commission's proposals for the OMC.
Among those it did not support was the proposed requirement for
Member States to make annual progress report in the years in between
their three-yearly reports.
The document
18.7 This new Communication on the OMC for social
protection:
- proposes common objectives;
- argues for greater publicity for the OMC so that
the public would see the benefits of the process and the EU's
support for social protection;
- calls for more mutual learning and sharing of
good practice between Member States;
- proposes that, in the intervening years between
the Member States' three-year reports, the OMC should concentrate
on the analysis of specific issues and the dissemination of policy
findings;
- proposes that Member States' national strategies
for social protection should contain an assessment of the national
social situation, a statement of the Member State's strategy for
modernising its social protection policies and plans which translate
the common objectives into national policies for pensions, social
inclusion and healthcare and long-term care; and
- repeats the proposal that the Council and Commission
should make annual Joint Reports on Social Protection.
18.8 The Commission proposes the following common
objectives for the three pillars of social protection:
- promote social cohesion and equal opportunities
for all;
- interact closely with the Lisbon objectives for
growth and jobs and with the sustainable development strategy;
and
- improve the processes for the design, implementation
and monitoring of policies.
18.9 In addition, the Commission proposes specific
objectives to:
- make a decisive impact on the eradication of
poverty and social exclusion;
- provide adequate and sustainable pensions; and
- ensure accessible, high-quality and sustainable
healthcare and long-term care.
18.10 The Commission says that there should be:
"a renewed focus on target setting in relation
to poverty and social exclusion"
and that :
"The European Parliament has often indicated
a wish to engage more fully with OMC processes. The Commission
and the Member States should explore with Parliament ways of doing
so."[33]
The Government's view
18.11 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Department of Work and Pensions (Mr James Plaskitt) tells
us that there is widespread support for the OMC among Member States,
who see it as a useful means to exchange information about good
practice and involve stakeholders and so improve policy formation
and execution.
18.12 There are, however, two aspects of the Communication
on which the Government will be seeking clarification. The first
concerns the Commission's reference to setting targets on poverty
and social exclusion. The Minister tells us that the governments
of several Member States, including the UK Government, have doubts
about the value of quantified EU targets; and the Government will,
if necessary, resist the adoption of such targets. Second, the
Commission refers to the wish of the European Parliament to be
more fully engaged in the OMC. The Minister says that it is unclear
what more the European Parliament should have to do with this
non-legislative process for cooperation between Member States
in matters for which they have the primary responsibility.
Conclusion
18.13 We share the conclusion the previous Committee
reached when it considered the Commission's previous Communication
on simplifying the open method of communication: in general, the
proposals appear sensible. We should add, however, that the proposed
common objectives seem so bland and general that we wonder whether
they would have any practical value.
18.14 We welcome the Government's intention to
seek clarification of the Commission's references to setting targets
and to the interest of the European Parliament in the OMC. We
should be grateful if he would tell us what response he receives.
We see no need, however, to keep the Communication under scrutiny
pending his reply and so we are content to clear it.
31 See headnote. Back
32
Lisbon European Council, 23-24 March 2000, Presidency Conclusions,
para 37. Back
33
Commission Communication, page 9. Back
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