Employment alone cannot fight poverty but it can part of the solution
Getting people into work. This was the theme of the informal EPSCO meeting of European ministers for social affairs and employment that took place on February 7 and 8 in Dublin. The informal EPSCO was preceded by a meeting of the Presidency Troika with Social Platform, discussing policies that can improve the situation of social exclusion and the labour market.
Aside from the Youth Guarantee, ministers discussed appropriate policy responses to the labour market and poverty difficulties faced by jobless households. Ministers emphasised the importance of active inclusion strategies, combining income support, activation and services, in providing an integrated response to the multi-faceted needs of jobless households.
In our meeting with the Presidency Troika, we pointed out that if employment alone cannot fight poverty it can nonetheless be part of the solution. When intervening in front of the 27 ministers of Employment, Conny Reuter, President of Social Platform called for the implementation of the Commission’s 2008 Active Inclusion recommendation: “The economy has to serve the people. People need to be supported with minimum income, access to quality and affordable services and personalised pathways to employment, otherwise the situation will worsen”. He also deplored that only 7 member states have made progress regarding the implementation of the recommendation.
We cannot wait for poverty and social exclusion to be challenged as a mere result of economic and employment policies. It is clear that an integrated approach to poverty and employment that goes further than an isolated focus on labour market conditions and the creation of jobs is needed. Quality of employment, working conditions and access to the labour market must be ensured. The EU must develop an integrated strategy to combat poverty and social exclusion at both European and national level as a core policy in itself to ensure an immediate and sustainable reduction of poverty and social exclusion. The work of social NGO’s is to support the transitions out of poverty and exclusion through social services, education and training is crucial.
The ministers also discussed in particular the development of a Youth Guarantee. The Irish Presidency considers this one of its main priorities, as it could form it to the current youth unemployment crisis in Europe. Under such a Guarantee – as proposed by the Commission last year – a young person aged 15-24 would be guaranteed a job or education place within a set number of months of becoming unemployed. Irish Minister Burton, who is now chairing the EPSCO Council, committed herself to ensuring that the Council Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee can be agreed at the formal Ministers’ Council on February 28. Ministers also agreed that it was crucial for member states to work with all stakeholders to ensure that those young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETS) have access to the services available to put them on a pathway to work.
You can read our full recommendations to the ministers for social affairs and employment here.
You can find the Conclusions of the Informal EPSCO meeting here.
