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During its meeting on January 23, 2014, the EP Employment and Social Affairs Committee adopted the draft initiative report of Sergio Guttiérez Prieto on the "Employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2014". This report is a part of the committee's involvement in the European Semester process. It contains specific recommendations regarding the employment and social policies for 2014. Whereas we welcome the report as it reflects several concerns of Social Platform regarding the European Semester, we would have preferred a more pronounced and ambitious support of MEPs for the involvement of stakeholders, and civil society in particular, in the Semester process.

The Report welcomes the Scoreboard of social and employment indicators that was included for the first time in the 2014 Annual Growth Survey (AGS). It is positive to see how the Committee is asking to include additional indicators regarding child poverty, health care, homelessness and quality work, in view of a better assessment of the social situation. The indicators of the Social Scoreboard, have not been made binding for member states to follow up to, unlike the macroeconomic indicators put in place before, and the Commission and member states are asked to assess this. The rapporteur's original text was however heavily weakened as the request to use the Scoreboard, not just as an analytical tool, but also as a basis for developing concrete indications as to how member states can fight unemployment and social inequality and to promote active inclusion, was deleted. The final decision of the Committee was also to delete the call on the Council to define concrete benchmarks for the employment and social indicators to trigger timely actions. Social Platform has been calling for a preventative and corrective action triggering mechanism as we consider it one of the necessary tools to achieve upward social convergence.

The number of Europeans living in poverty has increased significantly to almost one out of four in the last years. The report is therefore asking the Commission and member states to take urgent action to deliver on the EU 2020 poverty target. One tool that can act as a buffer against poverty and social exclusion is an adequate and effective social protection system and it is therefore asked that the functioning of such systems is improved.

We are happy to see that the report is calling on member states to propose measures that tackle inequality and guarantee decent pay. This can help to combat in-work poverty by putting in place policies aimed at ensuring a living wage. Related to this, the importance is stressed of exploring minimum-wage schemes, according to national practices. Looking at job creation, it is positive to see how member states are asked to present job plans for the health and social care sectors, next to job plans for the green and ICT sectors.

The Committee is however also sending a clear message to the Commission and the Council through this report to better involve the EP in the European Semester and in particular in the drafting and approval of the AGS. Furthermore, the European Council and member states are called upon to ensure that also social partners and civil society are closely involved in the implementation and monitoring of policy guidance under Europe 2020 and the European Semester to ensure ownership. The Committee however did not adopt the proposal, put forward by MEP Marije Cornelissen, to include a call for meaningful and structured involvement of CSOs, next to the social partners, in the actual Semester process and in European economic governance. We consider such involvement a precondition for good governance and good policy making, whereas this is currently still lacking, even though it would reflect the EU's own democratic principle of civil dialogue.

The report will now go to the EP Plenary where it will be discussed and voted by all MEPs in February.

2014-02-03