News

Last week we participated to the workshop “Social and economic citizenship: what equal treatment in a Europe affected by the crisis?” organised by the European Forum of Muslim Women, member of Social Platform.

Valentina Caimi, Policy Adviser, made some considerations about the impact of the crisis on social and health services and on the capacity of NGOs and non profit service providers to carry out their activities and provide services. She pointed out the contradiction between a rise in the demand for social and health services due also to the increasing deterioration of the social situation of people in Europe and the disengagement from states in the provision and funding of those services.

In the context of budget consolidation measures, all member states have cut their budgets for social and health services to a different extent. Paradoxically the major cuts have been made in countries most hit by the crisis. Austerity measures adopted at EU level and implemented at national level are in part responsible for the negative consequences of these cuts.

Some member states have to control and reduce their public deficits but the real problem is about where to cut. Social and health services have been drastically targeted, as if they were the cause of this crisis, but they are not. On the contrary, they provide an essential safety net for people in times of crisis, they contribute to social inclusion, social cohesion, and promotion of equality and have the potential of job creation both at present and in the future. The general trend is that member states do not invest enough in these services and in their employment potential. We hope that the Social Investment Package can be used in a good way to give an impulse to reverse this trend.