Ghailani D., Peña-Casas R., Coster S. and Regazzoni P.
An analysis of policies in 35 countries
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
Minimum income
The solution to the ongoing increase in in-work poverty in Europe?
Peña-Casas R. and Ghailani D.
in Vanhercke B., Spasova S. and Fronteddu B. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2020, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 133 - 153.
Since 2014, the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) has been supporting the European Commission with independent information, analysis and expertise on social policies to foster the development of evidence-based social policy initiatives at European level. In particular, the ESPN supports the Commission in monitoring progress towards the EU’s social protection and social inclusion objectives as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Semester.
As part of the preparation of an Opinion on guaranteed minimum income at European level, the Workers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) contracted the OSE to conduct a study entitled “Towards a European Minimum Income”. The main objective of this research is to explore the feasibility of introducing a European instrument relating to non-contributory minimum income schemes for able-bodied persons of working age.
The OSE has started a new research project, together with the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), which is in charge of the overall coordination. Funded by the European Commission, the European Minimum Income Network (EMIN) project will first build a network of national experts (social and anti-poverty NGOs and people experiencing poverty) with the aim to review and compare national situations as regards minimum income schemes.
The OSE, along with the Research Institute for Work and Society (HIVA, KULeuven), conducted a research project aimed at exploring the practices of Belgian Public Centres for Social Action (PCSA), whose work is related to the social integration of first and second-generation migrants. The research investigated the practices of PCSAs, the partnerships that are mobilised and the interaction with other (social) policy strands. The project combined the findings of a web survey of the 587 Belgian PCSAs with more in-depth case studies.