Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on renewed social agenda: opportunities, access and solidarity in 21st century europe
Date: 2009-04-22
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: CoR opinion, European social policy, economic and social cohesion, education policy, employment policy, free movement of persons, globalisation, health policy, migration policy, young person








C_2009200EN.01003701.xml










25.8.2009   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 200/37





Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on renewed social agenda: opportunities, access and solidarity in 21st century europe
(2009/C 200/08)
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS ISSUES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:






—


welcomes the way in which the agenda consolidates the Commission's work on social policy. The renewed agenda and the measures it proposes consist essentially of practical preparatory work which the Commission has already started. So the agenda contains relatively few new initiatives for enhancing the visibility or the substantial content of the EU's social policy;










—


stresses the importance of social and regional cohesion for attaining the goals of the revised Lisbon Strategy and points to the role of the local and regional level in taking this forward;










—


points out that economic and social activities do not automatically underpin and complement each other, but that an effective, reciprocal balance must be continually ensured between their objectives and means. This is particularly important now, when rapid changes in the global economy are increasing feelings of uncertainty among the general public;










—


stresses that systematic attention must be paid to the social effects of EU policies. For instance, the social effects of the EU internal market have sometimes been unpredictable, and it has not always been possible to prepare sufficiently for them;










—


urges the Commission to gather comparable and multidimensional research findings on enhancing the effectiveness of welfare systems, and draws attention in particular to the general conditions at local and regional level as a key provider of social and health services.












Rapporteur



:


Veikko Kumpumäki (FI/PES), Member of Lapland Regional Council




Reference document
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Renewed social agenda: Opportunities, access and solidarity in 21st century Europe
COM(2008) 412 final
I.   POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS






1.


welcomes the way in which the agenda consolidates the Commission's work on social policy. The renewed agenda and the measures it proposes consist essentially of practical preparatory work which the Commission has already started. So the agenda contains relatively few new initiatives for enhancing the visibility or the substantial content of the EU's social policy;










2.


points out that the public consultation conducted for the social reality stocktaking of the EU helped to underline that public confidence in the EU is, in one way or another, dependent on there being a credible European social policy which is an essential element of the European social model. Building this confidence is essential for progress, renewal and openness to change;










3.


stresses the importance of social and regional cohesion for attaining the goals of the revised Lisbon Strategy and points to the role of the local and regional level in taking this forward;




Europe's social dimension






4.


points out that economic and social activities do not automatically underpin and complement each other, but that an effective, reciprocal balance must be continually ensured between their objectives and means. This is particularly important now, when rapid changes in the global economy are increasing feelings of uncertainty among the general public;










5.


stresses that systematic attention must be paid to the social effects of EU policies. For instance, the social effects of the EU internal market have sometimes been unpredictable, and it has not always been possible to prepare sufficiently for them;










6.


sees as important the statement in the social agenda about the permanence of the fundamental social objectives and the EU's commitment to harmonious, cohesive and inclusive societies;










7.


points out that social policy should also be seen as a factor safeguarding and underpinning the harmonious development of society, not merely as an agent of flexibility and change;










8.


concedes the need for a broader social agenda and recognises the importance of lifelong learning as a key element in this. However, learning should not just be regarded as a competitive factor, but its substantial social role must also be recognised. As well as providing opportunities for individuals to succeed, it is necessary to ensure social protection and inclusion of people who have been less successful;










9.


underlines the importance of solidarity between different population groups and generations and regions. Debate about the changes in the age structure of the population and the adequacy and durability of welfare systems should be broadened to include all age and population groups, and attention should be paid here in particular to active participation also of disabled and partially disabled people;










10.


urges the Commission to gather comparable and multidimensional research findings on enhancing the effectiveness of welfare systems, and draws attention in particular to the general conditions at local and regional level as a key provider of social and health services;










11.


favours enhancing cooperation in Europe to facilitate the integration of immigrants and stresses that the expertise of local and regional authorities can be drawn on in these efforts;




Goals of the renewed social agenda






12.


notes in connection with the three general, interrelated goals that:






—


focusing on the creation of equal opportunities should not overshadow the importance of equality in the outcome of policies;










—


providing access should not mean placing too much emphasis on means-testing for services and benefits; rather universal access opportunities should also be visible and safeguarded;










—


demonstrating solidarity also means taking account of the varying needs of different regions in a flexible way when targeting European policies and funding;














13.


notes that the local and regional level can make a substantial contribution in terms of innovation and development to meet the EU's needs. It should be possible to draw on their expertise effectively under the renewed social agenda;




Main goals






14.


considers continuing a range of activities focused on children and youth to be a good thing, and draws particular attention to the importance of preventive measures here;










15.


notes that when improving and assessing the quality of education systems, children's welfare, safety and happiness should be emphasised in addition to their educational achievement. Particular attention should be paid also to teachers' pedagogical skills and the objective of equality at all educational levels;










16.


urges that the open coordination method be focused here on taking stock of and developing good local and regional solutions and practice as well as disseminating information so as to allow these to be applied more widely; in this context the CoR recalls that the open method of coordination is a voluntary cooperation between Member States;










17.


notes that growth and employment alone are not enough to guarantee a socially just society, but that effective and responsible social policy is also required at all levels;










18.


emphasises the need to gather and circulate broad and diverse information to permit effective flexicurity models;










19.


stresses that lifelong learning should be in the interest of all age and population groups, and accessible to all, although this still requires the general public to be fully informed, and that developing high-quality adult education requires broad cooperation at all levels of government and between the various stakeholders. With respect to vocational training, it is particularly important to ensure that education provides the skills needed for employment and that where necessary the education system can respond very promptly to education needs that arise. Wherever possible, forecasting of education needs should also be developed through collaboration with local and regional authorities;










20.


points out that society also needs people with appropriate health care qualifications, which is why these should also be listed in the ‘modern skills set’ mentioned in the social agenda;










21.


emphasises the need for new forms of education that combine work and learning, and encourages public authorities, employers and individuals to have an open discussion about their responsibility with regard to these arrangements combining work and learning;










22.


draws particular attention to the objective of improving both job quality and performance, and believes it is important to disseminate relevant research data and best practice;










23.


welcomes the Commission's commitment to ensure that there is no contradiction between the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Treaty, and urges the Commission to take note of experiences on this issue, also at local and regional level;










24.


notes that when analysing and developing European healthcare systems, their broader aspects should be taken into account, including the planning, quality and accessibility of services and manpower. As the main organisers of public social and health services, local and regional authorities are key partners in this effort;










25.


particularly welcomes the Commission's undertaking to ensure that single market and competition rules facilitate the development of good quality and universally accessible social services. This means ensuring a firm legal basis for services of general interest, as well as creating the necessary channels for open discussion and decision-making with respect to problems relating to coordinating social services with single market rules. Experience at local and regional level should be systematically collated in order to ensure that sufficient information is available and that more extensive use of best practices is made. However, this obligation does not include comprehensive reporting by the Member States and it should not impose an unreasonable administrative burden on local and regional authorities;










26.


recommends that priority be given to social rights and solidarity in the EU's efforts to combat poverty and social exclusion, and that serious consideration be given to whether food programmes and food banks should be part of the European welfare state in the 21st century;










27.


considers it essential to promote gender equality, eliminate the ‘gender pay gap’ and achieve effective reconciliation between work and family life;










28.


endorses the emphasis on the new policy priority relating to non-discrimination, pointing to the European Union's significant potential to lead the way in this area;




Committee of the Regions' main views






29.


endorses the comprehensive scope of the agenda, which brings together the activities of various sectors; urges the Commission, however, to ensure that this approach does not overshadow key challenges for traditional social policy, such as widening income differentials and growing inequality and the necessary steps to meet them;










30.


notes that the actions presented in the agenda often have many different — and sometimes conflicting — dimensions, which require detailed consideration. For instance, in connection with promoting mobility, attention should also be paid to the problems caused by young people moving away and the consequent distortion of the age structure in certain areas. The Committee stresses the need to protect the ‘non-mobile’ section of the population and ensure equal opportunities in less attractive areas. Factors such as the environmental impact of increased mobility should also be considered;










31.


emphasises that the open method of coordination — like any other European social policy method — should be developed on the basis of Member States' own social policy needs, which are best understood in practice at local and regional level. Since the Member States and the circumstances of their regions vary widely, introducing quantitative social policy objectives may be problematic. Open coordination at European level should be improved primarily by applying it to certain key questions, improving the effectiveness of reporting and research work, and increasing the role played by the specific knowledge of the local and regional level in implementing and developing coordinating processes. This could significantly enhance the impact and visibility of the method and thus the quality of European social policy — which is an important element of the European integration project. Links between the open coordination method and local and regional government are still too weak at the moment;










32.


points to the role and potential of social dialogue at European level in preparing initiatives and their implementation under the agenda at the level of local and regional government, and believes that it is important to enhance this dialogue.





Brussels, 22 April 2009


The President of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE