From the European Semester to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Some social actors are (not) resurfacing
Vanhercke B. & Verdun A. with Atanasova A., Spasova S. & Thomson M. (2021)
   
This report examines how and why the Semester became part of the governance of the RRF and to what extent this new set-up has changed the power balance among key EU actors? The report finds that EU institutional social actors are gradually claiming their position in the RRF, while EU civil society organisations (CSOs) have been sidelined. Likewise in most Member States, consultation with social partners and CSOs has remained insufficient by any standard.

 
Press Release

Inter-generational transmission of poverty: What it is, why it matters and how to tackle it
Frazer H., Guio A.-C. and Marlier E. (2021)
    
This paper outlines what is meant by poverty and inter-generational transmission of poverty (IGTP), and why tackling child poverty must be central to combating IGTP. It then puts forward recommendations to combat IGTP - including ensuring adequate income and resources, guaranteeing access to quality essential services and to integrated delivery of policies and programmes, promoting children’s participation and fostering children’s aspirations, protecting the right to a family life, and fighting discrimination and stigmatisation.

&
download

Social protection of non-standard workers and the self-employed during the pandemic
Country chapters: Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden. Brussels, 2021, ETUI, 117p.
Authors: Van Lancker A., Legros M., Cousins M., Belleti Ch., Norbiato R., Lazutka R., Navickė J., Perista P., Pop L.M., Fritzell J., Nelson K., Palme J.

The Covid 19 pandemic severely affected some categories of non-standard workers, and particularly the self-employed. This edited volume provides in-depth case studies about the measures taken in relation to unemployment benefits, sickness benefits and leave, both for non-standard workers and the self-employed. Eight countries are covered by independent national experts.

&
download

Eliminating inequalities in financial access to health care. Analysis of a survey of experts and stakeholders
The OSE submitted to experts and stakeholders a set of proposals to improve financial access to healthcare in Belgium. This survey was commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance. The report with the results of the consultation was handed over to the Belgian minister of public health and social affairs, Frank Vandenbroucke.
 
| NL | Wegwerken van de ongelijkheden in de financiële toegang tot gezondheidszorg. Analyse van een bevraging van experts en belanghebbenden
Het OSE heeft aan deskundigen en belanghebbenden een reeks voorstellen voorgelegd om de financiële toegang tot de gezondheidszorg in België te verbeteren. Dit onderzoek werd uitgevoerd in opdracht van het RIZIV. Het verslag met de resultaten van de raadpleging werd overhandigd aan de Belgische minister van Volksgezondheid en Sociale Zaken, Frank Vandenbroucke.

Report
NL
Summary report
NL - FR
Press release NL - FR

The Socio-Ecological Dimension of the EU Recovery. From the European Green Deal to the Recovery and Resilience Facility
Sabato S., Mandelli M. and Vanhercke B. (2021) - EUROsociAL Coll. No.24
  
This report assesses the socio-ecological dimension of the EU’s recovery strategy from the Covid-19 crisis, and identifies elements of continuity and change compared to the pre-pandemic EU growth strategy. Social challenges related to the green transition are to some extent acknowledged in the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the EU proclaims a ‘balanced’ approach to the recovery, aiming to combine the promotion of green growth with the achievement of a socially just transition. But how will the EU and its Member States implement this balanced approach? 

Social protection and inclusion policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis. An analysis of policies in 35 countries
Baptista I., Marlier E., Spasova S., Peña-Casas R., Fronteddu B., Ghailani G., Sabato S. and Regazzoni P.
 
This encompassing report from the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) examines (sub)national social protection and inclusion policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis in the 27 EU Member States, the UK, and the 7 (potential) candidate countries. Emergency measures helped avert a massive social crisis, yet they also highlighted major gaps in existing policies. The report also underlines their limited transformative potential for countries’ social protection systems, while proposing actions that could usefully be considered at national and/or EU level. 

  
  Synthesis & 35 country reports 

The Recovery and Resilience Facility: Have social actors been sidelined?
Vanhercke B. and Verdun A.

This AK EUROPA Policy Brief examines to what extent the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) changes the power balance among key actors (e.g. financial and economic versus social affairs actors) in the EU’s macroeconomic architecture. Following initial side-lining in a context of crisis management, social actors are reclaiming their prominence in the process. But stakeholder should not only be ‘heard’, they should be ‘listened to’. 
The video of the linked webinar (07/09/21) and the presentation are available.

  
Policy Brief

Fragmented labour markets in affluent societies: examples from Germany and the Netherlands
Bekker S. and Leschke J. (2021)
   
The employment and social impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have been more severe for some groups of workers such as low-wage workers and workers in non-standard employment. The concept of ‘fragmented labour markets’ highlights the large and growing diversity in employment relationships. Fragmented labour markets are defined as labour markets characterised by an accumulation of insecurities. This OSE Research Paper applies the concept to two affluent countries (DE, NL) and highlights vulnerability in occupations such as personal care and cleaning, particularly among women.

OSE amidst top 100 social policy think-tanks
   
The OSE has been ranked, for the fifth consecutive time among the ‘Top 100 social policy think-tanks’ worldwide by the Think-Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania. The think-tanks in this category are considered ‘leading social policy institutions of the global community’ that provide ‘superior innovative research and strategic analyses’ and ‘excel in research, analysis and public engagement’, more particularly ‘with the aim of advancing debate and facilitating cooperation between relevant actors’.

EU social policy: state of play
   
Bart Vanhercke, echoing the arguments of the recent book ‘Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2020’ expresses concern about the sidelining of 'social actors', the EU's lack of commitment to gender issues, the inadequate response to the rise in in-work poverty and the development of a new social-ecological contract. This is despite an unprecedented coordinated economic response from Member States and the European Commission, in stark contrast to the austerity-driven response to the 2008 crisis.

SUBSCRIBE

READ THE LATEST FLASH

EN - NL - FR

    |