Will this year’s Country-Specific Recommendations put the EU back on track?
On June 2, the European Commission presented its proposals for country-specific recommendations (CSRs) for this year. The Commission identified 12 member states receiving a CSR in the field of poverty and social inclusion. For six of them, the issue of minimum wages was addressed. The question is now if these recommendations will bring the EU and its member states to act to reverse the unacceptably high rates in poverty and social exclusion, inequalities and unemployment, in line with the social objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
What our members and us will be assessing in the coming weeks, is whether the CSRs have overcome their shortcomings of previous years. For Social Platform, it is important that there is consistency between the different CSRs. What is needed are coherent and balanced proposals which deliver on all objectives of Europe 2020. Otherwise, if the main focus stays on economic and budgetary priorities, without properly taking into account the social consequences of these choices, the absence of coherency will continue to generate increased poverty and social exclusion and undermine the social CSRs and their potential for delivery.
One clear thing that can be noted already is again the failure to set CSRs for Troika countries. This is sending the message that these countries are still excluded from Europe 2020.
Member states will discuss and endorse the Recommendations in June, after which the EU finance ministers will formally adopt them in July.
