Services and the fight against poverty in the EU: key challenges Brussels, February 2009

1. Services and the fight against poverty in the EU: key challenges Brussels, February 2009

2. Setting the stage • Impact of EU integration • Key challenges and EAPN approach

3. Setting the stage: concepts

4. « Services »: what are we talking about? • Strong diversity : health, education, telecommunication, audiovisual, energy transport, financial sercices, gambling, e-commerce…. • EU approach (debated): • - Service of General Interest basic services essential to lives of majority of general public, State obligation to defend public standards • - Services of General Economic Interest: SGIs with economic nature (= existence of market in EU approach) • - Social Services: SGIs linked to welfare state and social protection rights

5. Concepts: SGIs, SSGIs and SGEIs

6. 2. Current trends and impact of EU integration

7. Services at the crossroad between social and economic goals • Key role in social cohesion but also in supporting growth and job creation in post-industrial EU: • - 75% of jobs • - 65% GDP • => Potential tension between economic and social objectives

8. Services at heart of EU economic agenda - Free movement of services priority of EU Integration since 50s (internal market agenda) - Sectoral liberalisation (telecoms, transport, postal services…) accelerated in 80s-90s - But not « sufficient » : eliminating remaining obstacles through « Service Directive » (2006) => Non economic SGIs, health and some social services excluded

9. EU approach: how to preserve SGIs in internal market context? • - Non economic services not subject to EU market rules (public procurement, state aid) • - Economic services subject to internal market rules but should not prevent from meeting their objectives (Treaty) • => Line economic/non economic changes. Left up to Court of Justice to define and see how to exempt

10. How to better ensure protection of social rights? • Lack of a common binding definition of SGI missions (2004 White Paper + sectoral legislation, e.g. telecom) • Lisbon Treaty gives new tools: • - Protocol defines Universal Service Obligation (quality, safety, affordability, equal treatment, universal access, users’ rigts) • Gives stronger legal basis (horizontal directive?) • => Commission not supportive of Directive so far (2007 Communication)

11. What about social services? • 2007 Commission Communication • Notes that Social Services both economic and non economic • Proposes to boost quality through a European (non-binding) quality framework (no legislation) • Need to clarify applicability of internal market rules

12. 3. Key challenges and EAPN approach so far

13. EAPN Key concerns • Impact of market liberalisation • - Do prices go down? for basic services too? • Is there good access to information? • What is the quality of services? • - What about services in remote areas? • Objective impact assessment (beyond prices decrease) • Need for strong horizontal framework and to guarantee universal service obligation over market interests • Lack of stakeholder involvement

14. Key EAPN campaigns • - Service Directive (2006): exemption of Social and Health Services • - SGIs: advocate for horizontal framework to protect, meeting of People Experiencing Poverty • - Social Services: input in debate over quality framework, Active Inclusion • - Energy poverty: Charter, Energy Package

15. Questions for debate • - What is happening on the ground? What are your key concerns with regard to SGIs? • What are your National Networks’ actions and plans in the area? • Thank you!