MEPs and Social Platform share views on the social dimension of the EMU
On October 2 2013, we exchanged views with members of the European Parliament on the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). We also looked back at the 2013 European Semester and presented our position for the future Semesters. We further voiced some recommendations on ensuring social protection for all. These discussions took place in the context of our second biannual meeting this year with the Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL Com), chaired by Ms Pervenche Bérès. Many of the opinions and concerns we brought up during the meetings were shared by the Committee.
While discussing the social dimension of the EMU of the European Commission, Heather Roy, President of Social Platform pointed out how the Communication of the Commission, including the new Social Scoreboard, is putting forward already some good social indicators. What is still really missing though are concrete actions to counter the problematic social situation in Europe, with poverty and unemployment not improving or even continuing to increase, as well as the establishing of European Social Standards in view of organising upward social convergence and social progress. If the Social Scoreboard does not trigger action once the indicators reach a certain value, it risks to become just another analytical tool next to the already existing ones, even if it is linked to the European Semester. The MEPs present at the meeting agreed that the indicators put forward are already good, but that now the question is about how to use these in order to have a real influence on economic policies and to identify pro-actively how to achieve a functioning EMU. The EMU has its constraints. Ms Berès mentioned for example that certain automatic stabilisers do not work anymore at national level, so therefore the possibility to have such stabilisers at EU level, has to be looked into. We all need to work together now to ensure that the door to a genuine social dimension of the EMU, as it has now been opened up by the EC Communication, is not closed again.
It is planned that on November 13 the Annual Growth Survey for 2014 will come out and Commissioners Rehn and Andor will present this jointly in the European Parliament on November 15. Talking about the 2013 European Semester and looking forward to the future, we pointed out how a real effort is needed to restore the coherence of the Europe 2020 Strategy recalling that growth has to be inclusive along with being smart and sustainable. Therefore, the achievement of the Europe 2020 poverty, employment and education targets should be prioritised again. The European Commission keeps on saying that we are recovering from the crisis, but this is an illusion as it is not at all what social NGOs are seeing in the reality of their every day work. The Committee's chair stated how the Commission needs to intervene by identifying the impact of policies on each other and the collateral aspects of the different strategies pursued. The EMPL Com is also happy that the EP "Report on on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2013 priorities" took up quite a bit from their Opinion on this issue, making the Report of this year much more social than last year.
The EMPL Com is currently working on a report on 'Social protection for all, including the self-employed" for which MEP Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, has been appointed as rapporteur. The report will be discussed in the Committee on October 17. We stated how universal access to adequate social protection is a basic and fundamental right for all people to live a life in dignity, and provided our recommendations. However, in the experience of social NGOs, many people still experience difficulty in accessing social protection.
At the end of the meeting, we pointed out how all of the issues discussed have to be underpinned with a rights based approach. Equality organisations are strongly regretting how the Equal Treatment Directive 2000/78 is still not implemented after been adopted many years ago and it even seems that the EU is getting further away from it. This huge gap, is leading to greater difficulties for people on the ground.
Our next biannual meeting with the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will take place in about six months time.
Read our position on the social dimension of the EMU sent to the EPSCO ministers in October 2013
Read Social Platform's evaluation of the 2013 European Semester and proposals from 2014 onwards
2013-10-14
