EU- Open Method of Coordination (OMC)

1. EU- Open Method of Coordination (OMC) EAPN - Advanced Training 7th November 2006 Paul Ginnell, EAPN Ireland

2. OMC- What is it? • A process whereby Member States can work in a coordinated way on some policy areas based on Guidelines/Objectives agreed by the Member States at EU level. • Covers areas the EU has no mandate to legislate on. • Currently covers: 1. Employment (with Broad Economic Policy) 2. Social Inclusion (with social protection including pensions, health and long-term care etc) • Has Treaty basis • Employment/Economic – Amsterdam Treaty 1997 • Social Inclusion – Lisbon Council/ Nice Treaty 2001

3. Employment • 1997 Amsterdam Treaty – Chapter on employment • 1997 (Nov.) - European Summit on employment – Agreed on Coordinated Employment Strategy • 1998 European Employment Strategy /Employment Guidelines for Member State plans (with common objectives and targets) • 1998 Member State level – National Employment Action Plans (Annual) • Annually from 1999 - European Commission - Annual Joint Employment Report – • N.B. country specific recommendations. • Signed off by European Council at Spring Council (March).

4. Employment contd. • 2005 Lisbon Strategy Revised. • 2006 Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy - Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs • Employment Strategy integrated with Broad Economic Guidelines • 2005 (October) Member States produce first National Reform Programme 2005-2008 • 2006-2007 (October) Member States produce Annual Progress reports • 2006 – 2008 (January) European Commission produced Annual Progress Report • Country specific recommendations? • Signed off by European Council at Spring Council (March). • 2008 Second National Reform Programme 2008-2010 N.B. National Reform Programmes Process to feed-in to Social Inclusion Process.

5. Some key issues raised by Commission in Jan 2006 Progress Report on Ireland’s NRP Weaknesses • Lack of detail on the provision of affordable, high quality childcare services will be further developed. • Relatively little attention paid to issues of quality of work and poverty among employed people • lack of detail on measures to address the position of the low skilled, especially with respect to older workers. • Not enough attention given to the issues of inactivity, the enhancement of adult participation in learning. Strengths • the emphasis on the need to integrate inactive people into the labour market, to increase female participation and to address skills development.

6. Social Inclusion • 2000 Lisbon Council – Agreed by 2010 ‘to make the EU the most dynamic and knowledge based economy with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’ • placed equal focus on economic and social aspects of EU. Environment added in 2001. • 2000 Nice Spring Council agreed on Social Inclusion Strategy . Aim: ‘to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010’ Included: • OMC on Social Inclusion • Agreed objectives and indicators at EU level including EU Survey of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) • National Action Plans for Social Inclusion (NAPs/incl) at Member State level. (NAPs/incl from 2001-3003; 2003-2005; 2006 extension) • National level Implementation reports (Annual) • Commission: Joint Social Inclusion and Social Protection Report (Annual) – Country Specific sections • Peer Reviews (looking at examples of good practice in EU, publication and meeting) • Community Action Programme on Inclusion (Funding for actions at EU and MS level)

7. Social Inclusion contd. • 2005 Lisbon Strategy Revised • Prioritised economic/employment with emphasis on competitiveness. • Established two parallel processes • Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy (Employment and Economic) • Streamlined Objectives for Social Protection and Social Inclusion. (Social Inclusion, Pensions, Health and Long-term care etc. • 2006 (March) Objectives for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006-2008 agreed by EU Spring Council • 2006 (September) – Ireland submitted its National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Inclusion 2006-2008 • 2007 European Commission - Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion

8. Challenges raised for Ireland in 2006 Joint Report • To sustain investment in service provision, notably in relation to childcare and elder care. • To address the high proportion at risk of poverty, affected particularly in recent years by increased employment and economic growth, and reflected in income disparities which are amongst the highest in the EU; • To ensure the ongoing adequacy of income support fro pensioners, in order to avoid their exclusion in a context of rapidly rising general living standards…. • To increase healthcare capacity in various and improve service integration and coordination to improve patient flows.

9. Social Inclusion – related national processes • N.B. Irish NAPs/incl process linked to National Anti Poverty Strategy (NAPS) process 1997-2007 with NAPS targets included in NAPs/incl. • In January 2007(?) the Irish Government has committed itself to producing a more detailed National Action Plan for Social Inclusion. Relationship to EU process?? • Also: Each year the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) hosts a Social Inclusion Forum in Ireland

10. OMC – What works/does not work • Consultation? at planning stage– More positive in NAPs/incl. than Employment • Opportunities to engage? – Use of Commission comments. • Opportunities to learn? - • Improved outcomes? - Not always possible to measure. NAPs/incl has had clearer targets. • Feeding-in from Inclusion to Employment processes • Economic / Social balance • Effect of Social Partnership