20.1.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC14/1
II
(PreparatoryActs)
ECONOMIC ANDSOCIALCOMMITTEE
OpiniononthedraftRecommendation bytheCounciloncommoncriteriaconcerning
sufficientresourcesandsocialassistanceinthesocialprotectionsystems(*)
(92/C14/01)
On31May1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned draftRecommendation .
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon11October1991.
TheRapporteurwasMissMaddocks .
Atits290thplenarysession(meetingof30October1991)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvotewithoneabstention .
1.Generalcomments 1.3.Sincethemid70'stheCommission hasbeen
monitoringthesituationandputtingprogrammesinto
place.Thisparticularproposalisaresponseandfollow­
upbothtoarecentSocialCouncilmandateandto
specificprovisionsintheSocialCharter.Theproposal
alsorespondstopreviousCommitteerecommendations
infavouroftheindividualbasicrighttoasufficient
guaranteedincometakingtheformofasocialreinte­
grationallowance,decidedbyindividualMember
States,andpitchedatalevelastoguaranteeasufficient
standardoflivingratherthanjustbaresubsistence(2).
OnthispointtheCommitteehasindeedarguedthat:1.1.EightECStateshave'safetynet'systems
embodyingarighttoaminimumofbenefitsand
resources.FourMemberStatesdonotguaranteesucha
rightatnationallevel,directlythroughbenefits,though
someregionsandmunicipalities do.ThedraftRec­
ommendation seekstointroducesucharightwhereit
doesnotexist,andtodefinegeneralcommonprinciples
andcriteriawhereitdoes,withtheviewtoguaranteeing
ittoallpersonsresidingintheCommunityasawhole.
'Guaranteeingpoorpeopleaminimumincomewill
certainlynotsetthemontheroadtoindependence
andsocialreintegration .Withoutit,however,there
wouldbeafalltolevelsofdestinationunworthyof
developedsocieties.Aminimumguaranteedincome
isamajorweaponinhaltingtheslidefromprecari­
ouslivingstandardstoseverepoverty.Asharp1.2.TheCommitteewelcomesthedraftRecommen­
dation.Therighttoaguaranteedadequatelevelof
benefitsandresourcessufficienttoliveinastateof
humandignityshouldindeedbepartofacomprehen­
siveandsystematicdrivethroughouttheECtocombat
povertyandeliminateallformsofsocialexclusion,
notablyineducation,employment,training,healthand
housing.TheCommitteeagreeswiththeCommission
that,atpresent,themostappropriatepathistoestablish
basiccommonprinciplesandcriteriaforallMember
States,butthatnorigidstandardofamountorset
procedureforimplementingtheproposedguaranteeof
resourcesbeenvisaged.
(2)ESCOpinionon'Leastprivilegedgroups',OJNoC221,
28.8.1989.AlsoseeESCBrochureon'Poverty*,ESC-89-013,
1989. (!)OJNoC163,22.6.1991,p.3.

NoC14/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 20.1.92
preventivemeasures.Theproposalmightinturnbe
clearerinpresentingthe'package'asa'socialinte­
grationcontract'.
2.Specificcommentsfallinincomeorthelossofentitlementtosocial
protectionistheturningpointwhichplungesthose
concernedintotheirrevocablespiralofmultiple
deprivation :lossofincome,collapseofpersonal,
socialandevenfamilyrelationships ,andlossof
socialidentityculminatinginmarginalization and
exclusion.
Beingsecureintheknowledgethatbasicphysical,
psychological ,socialandmoralneedsaregoingto
bemetwhateverthecircumstances undoubtedly
stopsmanypeoplefromfallingintothedespair
whichsometimesdestroysforalongtime(oreven
forever)thewillpowerneededandopportunities
availabletoovercomeeventheeverydaydifficulties
ofpersonalandfamilylife(...)
(...)theintroductionofaminimumincome(...)
wouldbebothamarkofsocialjusticeandaweapon
inthefightagainstmarginalization andsocial
exclusion'(!).2.1.Legalbasis
2.1.1.TheCommitteewouldquestionwhether
Article235oftheTreatyshouldbethesoleappropriate
legalbasefortheproposal.Shouldtherenotalsobe
somereferencemadetoArticles2and117(livingstan­
dards)?Inparticular,Article117declaresthatMember
States'believe'that'animprovedstandardofliving
forworkers'will'ensue'fromthe'functioningofthe
commonmarket'.ThecurrentCommissionproposal
nonethelesspresentsitscaseforguaranteedsufficient
resourcesarguingthat'formsofsocialexclusion'from
thelabourmarketwillbecome'moremarked'in'the
contextoftheinternalmarket'(atleastintheearly
stages)(2).TheCommitteewouldthereforeconsiderit
reasonabletoinvokeArticle8b,whichissupposedto
'ensurebalancedprogressinallthesectorsconcerned'.ACouncilRecommendation wouldconstitutean
importantfirststepinthisdirectionandtowards
achievinga'socialEurope'.
2.2.ECinstrument
TheCommitteenotesthat,atpresent,aRecommen­
dationistheproposedinstrument.TheRecommen­
dationshouldberegardedasafirststep;asEuropean
integrationdevelopsandsocialsecurityschemescon­
verge,theCommitteewouldurgetheCommissionto
consideramorebindingECinstrumentinthelightof
themonitoringprocessandprogressreportenvisaged.1.4.Theindividualbasicrighttosufficientresources
andassistanceproposedshouldbebasedonneedsfixed
andqualifiedbyeachMemberStatetakingintoaccount
prevailinglivingstandardsandaveragedisposable
income.Itshouldbesubject,whereappropriateto
recipientsbeingactivelyavailableforwork,whereage,
healthandfamilysituationpermitprofessionalactivity,
andonconditionthatnoindividualshouldbeforced
intoajobortrainingwhichpayslessthanthenormal
rate,ortowhichheorsheisevidentlynotsuited.
Theaccompanying socialandeconomicintegration
measures,tobeeffectivelyimplemented intermsof
housing,healthprotectionandtraining,shouldlikewise
besubjecttoqualitycontrol.Training,inparticular,
mustbeaworthwhileinducement,offeringarealper­
spectiveofgettingbackintoproper,notprecarious,
employment .2.3.Application
2.3.1.TheCommitteeagreesthattherightrecog­
nizedbytheRecommendation shouldlastforaslong
astherecipientfulfilstheconditionsforeligibility.
2.3.2.TheCommitteeconsidersthattherightrecog­
nizedbytheRecommendation shouldbeextendedto
allpersonsresidentintheMemberState,inaccordance
withnationalandCommunityprovisions(3).
2.3.3.Theresourcestobeguaranteedasproposed
bytheRecommendation shouldberegardedasaspring­
boardforfullreintegrationintosociety.Theyshould
beprovidedinthecontextofpoliciesandstrategies
designedtoachievethisfullreintegration .Measures
adoptedinthecontextofsuchstrategieswouldinclude:
assistanceinjobsearching,advicecentres,education1.5.InsupportingtheproposaltheCommittee
wouldstressthattheproblemisfirstandforemostone
offunding.Itisalsoaboutmeasuresandassistanceto
combat,andpreferablyprevent,socialexclusion;and
theCommissionrightlyidentifiesthefundamental
moralandsocietalchallengesinvolvedinthis.Itcould
highlightalittlemorethatsocialintegrationandself­
helpmustatfirstbeanchoredinbothsupportiveand
(*)Brochure,op.cit.(2)Point3oftheExplanatoryMemorandum .
(3)OJNoC329,30.12.1989.

20.1.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC14/3
andtraining,accesstohousingandhealthcare,etc.
Thereshouldbeminimumstandardsforsuchmeasures :
—theyshouldbevoluntary,respectfuloftherecipi­
ent'sdignityandobligationactivelytobeavailable
forworkandappropriatetraining,ifage,health
andfamilysituationpermit,
—anytrainingmeasuresshouldleadtorecognized
qualifications ,
—anyactivitiesshouldmeettheresponsibleMember
State'sandtheEuropeanCommunity'shealthand
safetystandardsfortheworkingenvironment ,
—recipientsoftheminimumbenefitguaranteedas
proposedbytheRecommendation whoundertake
trainingorworkexperienceaspartoftheirstrategy
forachievingsocialandeconomicreintegration
shouldhavefullemploymentrights,includingthe
righttotradeunionrepresentation .
2.3.4.Financialsupportshouldbematchedby
society's'moraleffort'toimprovesocialcohesion.Fur­
thermore,itisapparenttotheCommitteethatpreven­
tivepoliciesarealsorequired,toensurethatsocial
exclusiondoesnotoccurinthefirstplace.Suchpolicies
mightincludedebtcounselling,policiesagainstdrug
andotheraddictions,appropriatemeasurestostop
peopledroppingoutofthelabourmarket.
2.3.5.TheCommitteeagreesthattherighttoasuf­
ficientlevelofincomeandresourcesisanindividual
one,basedonneeds,buttakingintoaccountfamily
circumstances .Thisdoesnot,however,meanthatthe
minimumbenefitlevelgrantedtoanindividualinthe
Recommendation shouldbereducedbecauseofthe
receiptofotherbenefitsforherorhischild(ren).Itis
unfairthatthepoorestfamiliesshouldbedeprivedof
suchanelementaryright,withtheresultthatthepoor­estparentsarecondemnedtoliveofftheirchildren's
income.
2.3.6.TheCommitteeconsidersthatclaimantsof
theminimumbenefitsandresourcestobeguaranteed
willbeobligedtoprovidetothebestoftheirabilities,
accuratelyandtruthfully,anyinformationneededto
assesstheireligibility,andtoadministerprovision.
2.3.7.TheCommitteeconsidersthattheminimum
levelofbenefitguaranteedasproposedbytheRec­
ommendation isameasureofsocialassistancewhich
isnotaformofcontributorysocialsecurity.
2.3.8.TheCommitteeagreesthatitisnotpracticable
torequireallMemberStatestoguaranteeaminimum
levelofbenefitatthesameproportionofaverage
incomepercapitaineachStatethroughouttheCom­
munity.However,theCommitteealsoconsidersthat
MemberStatesshoulduseacceptedobjectivecriteria
whenfixingtheamountofresourcesconsideredsuf­
ficient.
2.3.9.TheCommitteebelievesthattheremustbea
righttoclearinformationontheimplementarypro­
visionsofthisRecommendation ,andtheappealspro­
cedure.
2.3.10.TheCommitteeconsidersthat,atleastat
theinitialstage,assistancemightbeofferedtothose
MemberStateswhichwouldhavedifficultycomplying
withtheinstrumentandthattheseMemberStatesbe
encouragedtomakefulluseoffundswhichcanbe
broughttobearonthisproblem.
2.3.11.TheCommitteeagreesthattherequired
measuresbeintroducedprogressively ,accordingtothe
greatestneed,andwithinfiveyearsoftheadoptionof
thisRecommendation .
2.3.12.TheCommitteealsoposivitelyacknowledges
themonitoringprocedureproposed,andwouldurge
MemberStatestocontributefullytotheperiodicreport.
DoneatBrussels,30October1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN