2010 and Beyond: EAPN Proposals on a Legacy for 2010 and post 2010 EU Strategy

1. 2010 and Beyond: EAPN Proposals on a Legacy for 2010 and post 2010 EU Strategy Towards inclusive employment in the post- Lisbon architecture Amana Ferro, EAPN policy officer for Employment

2. Outline • Presenting EAPN • 2010 – Key Challenges • EAPN Overaching Proposals • Key Concerns and Proposals on Active Inclusion and Employment

3. Who is EAPN? • Independent EU Network of NGOs committed to fight against poverty and social exclusion • Started in 1990 – key actor in poverty programmes and development of social OMC. • Receives financial support from the European Commission (PROGRESS) • 25 National Networks and 22 European NGOs as members. (1,500+ organisations)

4. 2010: Key Challenges • 2010 – EU year against poverty and social exclusion, 10 years on from Lisbon, new post 2010 strategy • An economic model that has failed to deliver on poverty and prosperity for all and has contributed to the crisis. • A crisis that is exacerbating impact on poor/ and widening gap between old and new poor • No more business as usual – Time for change

5. EAPN Overarching Proposals. • An EU We Can Trust: New Goals • Put people and planet before profit • Put the economy at service of social and sustainable development • Make the fight against poverty, inequality and social exclusion, a pre-requisite for progress

6. An EU We Can Trust: 3 Key Demands • A new social and sustainable post 2010 EU strategy • A Social Progress Pact – Delivering on rights and solidarity • Building a dynamic partnership for change

7. 1. New Social and Sustainable post 2010 Strategy • New overarching objectives and architecture: promoting social cohesion and fundamental rights delivered through 4 pillars (economic/employment/social/ environmental) • New tools to ensure implementation and political visibility eg poverty targets, new indicators beyond GDP, use of Structural Funds to deliver social inclusion

8. 2. A Social Progress Pact • Reduce inequality/ share the wealth • Guarantee adequate minimum income and access to services. • Create a pathway to inclusion – Active Inclusion • Invest in quality social/green jobs and social economy • Challenge discrimination/promote diversity • Promote global social justice and equity

9. 3. Building a dynamic partnership for change • Implementing participative governance, involving NGOs and people in poverty at all stages of policy cycle. • Ensure financial and other support to NGOs who support/empower people in poverty and provide services.

10. EAPN Key Concerns Active Inclusion • Shortcomings in the implementation of the EC Active Inclusion Recommendation – no clear rodamap • Not enough attention paid to the integrated approach (exclusion is a complex issue); • Increasing conditionality continues to mar activation measures; • The focus should be on access to quality employment; • Increased difficulty and hardship for people in poverty to gain access to quality jobs, especially in a time of crisis; • Not enough stress on flanking services.

11. EAPN Proposals for the future – Active Inclusion Roadmap to implement the Recommendation • A well-publicised roadmap should be put forward; • Progress on individual pillars needs to be strengthened and deepened; • The integrated approach must, however, be reinforced; • Need for clear social standards for adequate minimum income schemes and access to quality services; • Raising visibility at national and EU level, while encouraging mutual learning and exchange of best practices

12. EAPN Proposals for the future – Active Inclusion Mainstreaming the Recommendation • In the Economic Recovery packages * emphasize the need for integrated approaches; * counter the current trend to pursue activation at all cost; * recognition of current labour market constraints; * focus on providing adequate minimum income, access to quality services, and decent employment. • In the European Employment Strategy * revise the Integrated Guidelines, especially Guideline 19; * highlight the integrated approach; * make it a priority in all documents related to post-2010.

13. EAPN Proposals for the future – Active Inclusion Implement the EP’s Active Inclusion Report • Improve the effectiveness of delivery, in line with the Report’s recommendations; • Need to reduce punitive activation; • Establish targets for the adequacy of minimum income, above the poverty threshold; • Work towards a Directive on Services of General Interest. • Support social economy; • Tackle discrimination.

14. EAPN Key Concerns Employment • Crisis led to a shrinking supply of jobs; • Increased precariousness and lack of quality of the jobs that are being defended at all costs; • In-work poverty not being taken into account (although it is 8% of all workers); • Increased demands placed on the worker (flexibility, adaptability, mobility…); • Not enough targeted support for vulnerable groups; • Discrimination insufficiently and ineffectively tackled; • Social economy is not supported enough.

15. EAPN Proposals for the future – Employment Reshape the current architecture (1) • Reform the European Employment Strategy * restructure the Employment Guidelines; * effectively mainstream the Active Inclusion principles; * add new anti-poverty objectives and targets; * create virtuous circles between economic productivity and social inclusion through employment; * ensuring coherence with all other relevant policies. • Promote a Directive on Minimum Wages * ensure living wages, compatible with human dignity; * create a positive hierarchy between minimum income schemes and minimum wages; * ensure that jobs are sure routes out of poverty; * achieve uniformity across the European Union concerning adequacy levels; * establish adequacy levels together with the social partners.

16. EAPN Proposals for the future – Employment Reshape the current architecture (2) • Bet on quality jobs and fighting in-work poverty * expand and implement the current criteria on quality work in the Employment Guidelines; * effectively tackle in-work poverty and establish appropriate quality targets and standards; * ensure that ALMP do not push people into precarious employment; addressing undeclared work and poor working conditions; * address the challenge of the work/benefit trap; * fully implementing the EC agenda on decent work; * reconcile private and professional life * Ensure that flexicurity equally reinforces the security pillar, not just the flexibility one;

17. EAPN Proposals for the future – EmploymentJob creation and new challenges (1) • Invest in Social and Green Jobs * support public investment in creating new smart green jobs, as well as jobs in the social services sector; * Make sure that these new jobs benefit the most excluded and vulnerable segments of population, as well as regions; * support more research to prove trade-offs with other areas of activity and services. * increase investment in new social services (care, health, education etc), which provide jobs while in turn responding to new social needs. * provide adequate and matching skills upgrading and training for people to be able to take up these new jobs. * support the targeted use of Structural Funds to this effect.

18. EAPN Proposals for the future – Employment Job creation and new challenges (2) • Support Social Economy * provide an adequate legislative framework for social economy in the EU; * support research in the crucial role of social economy in the socio-professional integration of vulnerable groups; * support the regulation, creation and functioning of work integration social enterprises (WISEs); * encourage the exchange of best practices; * make resources available for the development of this sector, including targeted Structural Funds.

19. Overview of key demands • Adequate employment (quality jobs, stable employment, living wages, decent working conditions, protection of rights); • Adequate minimum income for a dignified life for groups that can not access employment; • Access to quality, affordable social and flanking services; • Integrated pathway approaches to work and inclusion; • Empowerment, participation and self respect; • Pro-active measures to defend fundamental rights and tackle discrimination; • Increased transparency, improved governance and participation of stakeholders and their associations. • More effective and tageted use of Structural Funds to support these objectives.

20. Thank you! For more information: • Amana FERRO EAPN Secretariat, Policy Officer for Employment amana.ferro@eapn.eu • Philip O’CONNOR EAPN IE, Chair of the Employment Working Group poconnor@dublinpact.ie