23 Social protection and inclusion
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6475/09
COM(09) 58
+ ADD 1
| Commission Communication: Draft Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion 2009
Commission staff working paper: supporting information
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 13 February 2009
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| Deposited in Parliament | 17 February 2009
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| Department | Work and Pensions
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 23 February 2009
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | 9 March 2009
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
23.1 In March 2000, the European Council approved a strategy ("the
Lisbon strategy") for the EC to become, by 2010, the world's
most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, capable
of sustained economic growth and with more and better jobs and
greater social cohesion. It said that policies to counter social
exclusion should be based on an open method of coordination.[76]
In 2005, the European Council re-launched the Lisbon strategy
with a sharper focus on economic growth and jobs.
23.2 Since 2005, the Council of Ministers and the
Commission have made an annual joint report on social protection
and social inclusion to the Spring meeting of the European Council.
The draft of the Joint Report for 2009
23.3 The document is the Commission's draft of the
report from itself and the Council of Minsters to the European
Council. It is based on Member States' National Strategic Reports
(NSRs) about their policies on:
- poverty and social exclusion;
- pensions; and
- healthcare and long-term care.
23.4 The draft says that the following "key
messages" emerge from the NSRs:
- social policies can mitigate
the effects of the economic downturn on the economy in general
and on the most vulnerable people in particular;
- the European Social Fund should be used to its
full potential to support the rapid return to the labour market
of people who have lost their jobs because of the economic crisis;
- Member States need to increase their efforts
to reduce child poverty and provide affordable child care;
- homelessness is one of the most severe forms
of social exclusion and more effort is needed to ensure a greater
supply of affordable housing;
- Roma people face multiple disadvantages —
although Member States with a substantial Roma minority are paying
more attention to the issue, most of them have not yet established
a comprehensive policy framework for the action that is required;
- in order to improve the prospects of adequate
and sustainable pensions, higher rates of participation in employment
will be needed and retirement ages need to be raised;
- further action is required to promote good health
and reduce inequalities in access to health care;
- the National Strategic Reports reaffirm Member
States' commitment to universal access to high quality and affordable
long-term care for older people; but a sustainable means of funding
it has yet to be found in many countries; and
- adequate recruitment, retention and training
of care workers remains a challenge.
The Government's view
23.5 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at
the Department for Work and Pensions (Mr Jonathan Shaw) tells
us that the draft report's key messages provide a concise summary
of progress and where more effort is needed. The messages reflect
a broad consensus between Member States and the Commission, while
fully respecting national priorities and competences. The messages
are unsurprising but they identify useful matters for the future
sharing of information and good practice. The Minister also tells
us that the draft report has no direct policy, legislative or
financial implications for the UK.
Conclusion
23.6 We draw the draft joint report to the attention
of the House because of the importance of the issues to which
it refers. But, as the Minister says, the messages suggested in
the document are unsurprising and there are no questions about
it that we need put to him. We are content, therefore, to clear
the document from scrutiny.
76 The European Council defined the Open Method of
Coordination (OMC) in 2000. The principle ingredients of the OMC
are as follows:
? Member States voluntarily agree EU-wide
objectives and goals;
? they also define a set of common
indicators to measure progress towards the achievement of the
objectives;
? each Member State translates the
common objectives into national policies; and
? progress is assessed jointly by the
Commission and Member States. Back
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