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BackThis week, a Conference on Mobilising Social Policy Innovations, which had been organised by the EU Commission, took place in Brussels, whereby participants particular focussed on the question how one could, based on innovations, contribute to the goal of achieving a higher level of economic and social benefit by adopting social policy reforms. It was also the aim to explore how the European Union could give greater support to social policy innovations and experiments of the Member States by providing expert knowledge, financing and consultancy services.
Andor: Member States shall let Social Investment Package of the EU Commission become reality
László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, who delivered the opening address at the Conference, pointed out that new, innovative concepts are particularly necessary in the current economic and social situation to ensure that social systems can be created and organised in such a way that they actually meet the requirements of people and the changing societies. This is very close to what the EU Commission had outlined in its Social Investment Package more than a year ago, when it asked the Member States to make social investments a priority in order to modernise their welfare systems. However, the Conference also served as a platform to illustrate already successfully implemented projects in the Member States. A Project on Innovation in the Health Care System in Finland showed that a reorganisation provided the population with healthcare throughout the country. The project within the Centre “Solidarity Now” in Greece also focusses on innovative social services. The Solidarity Centre provides people, who are especially in need of help, with a wide range of services, reaching from legal advice via medical care up to the arrangement of micro loans and support in looking for employment.
Social innovations play a major role in achieving the Europe 2020 targets
The Europe 2020 Strategy has set ambitious goals in the employment and socio-political sector. The objective is to achieve an employment rate of 75 % of the 20 to 64-year olds by 2020 and to reduce the number of people affected or threatened by poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million. However, the situation today does not look as if these targets could be achieved. The crisis policy over the past years has clearly shown that in particular social and employment policy investments would be urgently needed; but they were unfortunately neglected. However, investments in respect of children from the earliest age and in young people would help in breaking through disadvantages, which spanned generations and address the huge problem of youth unemployment. In the long term, these measures would be more than sensible and in addition contribute to achieving the Europe 2020 targets. Even though these ideas were met with a lot of approval at the Conference, what is sadly lacking in reality is the will of the political actors.
Further information:
Conference on Mobilising Social Policy Innovation
László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, who delivered the opening address at the Conference, pointed out that new, innovative concepts are particularly necessary in the current economic and social situation to ensure that social systems can be created and organised in such a way that they actually meet the requirements of people and the changing societies. This is very close to what the EU Commission had outlined in its Social Investment Package more than a year ago, when it asked the Member States to make social investments a priority in order to modernise their welfare systems. However, the Conference also served as a platform to illustrate already successfully implemented projects in the Member States. A Project on Innovation in the Health Care System in Finland showed that a reorganisation provided the population with healthcare throughout the country. The project within the Centre “Solidarity Now” in Greece also focusses on innovative social services. The Solidarity Centre provides people, who are especially in need of help, with a wide range of services, reaching from legal advice via medical care up to the arrangement of micro loans and support in looking for employment.
Social innovations play a major role in achieving the Europe 2020 targets
The Europe 2020 Strategy has set ambitious goals in the employment and socio-political sector. The objective is to achieve an employment rate of 75 % of the 20 to 64-year olds by 2020 and to reduce the number of people affected or threatened by poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million. However, the situation today does not look as if these targets could be achieved. The crisis policy over the past years has clearly shown that in particular social and employment policy investments would be urgently needed; but they were unfortunately neglected. However, investments in respect of children from the earliest age and in young people would help in breaking through disadvantages, which spanned generations and address the huge problem of youth unemployment. In the long term, these measures would be more than sensible and in addition contribute to achieving the Europe 2020 targets. Even though these ideas were met with a lot of approval at the Conference, what is sadly lacking in reality is the will of the political actors.
Further information:
Conference on Mobilising Social Policy Innovation