OSE paper on Europe 2020 poverty target reflects Social Platform concerns
“There is a growing consensus that the social dimension of the Europe 2020 Strategy has been disappointing and that urgent action is required to rectify this if the EU poverty and social exclusion target is to be achieved”. This statement is formulated by independent experts in a research paper on the Europe 2020 poverty target of the European Social Observatory (OSE) that was published this month. The aim of the OSE paper is to contribute to the debate on the mid-term review and suggest key policies and programmes to be pursued if the poverty and social exclusion target is to be reached. It reflects many of the concerns and recommendations put forward by Social Platform in the context of the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
The researchers recall how the EU is far from reaching the target of reducing the number of people living at risk of social exclusion by 20 million by 2020, and that the total sum of national targets, even if they would be reached, would only amount to 12 millon people lifted out of their precarious situation. According to the researchers it is far from certain whether, in order to reduce poverty significantly, it would be enough to achieve renewed economic growth in the EU. Also, while growth in terms of employment is considered to be a necessary condition to reduce poverty rates, the quality of the jobs created needs to be assured to avoid people moving from being out of work and poor to being employed, but still at risk of poverty.
Concurring with the views of social NGOs, the researchers take the view that the EU and member states should stick to their commitment on poverty reduction as formulated in 2010 and this should be at the heart of any revision, while they call for renewed policies and efforts at all levels to achieve this.
Social Platform is recommending the break down of the social targets of the strategy by population, age and gender (i.e. women, younger people, older people, people with a disability, migrants), as this would enhance the effectiveness of EU and national strategies and facilitate their adjustment if necessary. In line with this recommendation, the OSE paper is pointing out that there are strong arguments for setting EU level sub-targets for the poverty target and for encouraging member states to do the same at national level.
The paper calls for more coherence between economic, employment and social policies and points out how, since the start of Europe 2020, the social dimension of the strategy has been subordinate to the economic and financial dimension. For this reason, Social Platform has been calling for an urgent rebalancing within the Strategy, such as through the ex-ante coordination of fiscal, economic and social policies and reforms based on reinforced social and gender impact assessments, to avoid inconsistencies and contradictions and to ensure social policies are enabled and not undermined by economic and financial policies.
Taking up what has been called for by the European Minimum Income Network and supported by social NGOs including Social Platform, the researchers recommend that all member states have adequate minimum income schemes, as a key starting point to strengthen the sustainability and adequacy of income support.
Other recommendations of the OSE researchers concern the need to put social investment at the heart of Europe 2020, active inclusion as the required tool to tackle unemployment, strenthening anti-discrimination and equality – including gender equality – measures, and the timely involvement of all key stakeholders, including social NGOs.
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