3/12/2015 – EAPN welcomes the proposal by the European Commission for a Recommendation on long-term unemployment as useful and timely. While a number of positive elements are put forward, we feel that some of these could have been further explored and complemented, and some important dimensions of the challenge have been overlooked.
Most notably, EAPN laments the wasted opportunity to put in place genuine, integrated Active Inclusion approaches – while the proposal emphasizes support towards the labour market and a holistic package of services, nothing is said about adequate income support, thus undermining coherent, comprehensive Active Inclusion. Additionally, we welcome the individualised approach and the single point of contact, but wish to highlight that it is imperious that the tailored plans and proposed linking of benefits to activation measures do not encourage in any way negative, compulsive activation practices, based on conditionality and sanctions. Finally, other missing elements, in our view, include the lack of references to job creation, to the quality and sustainability of jobs proposed, to additional financial resources to implement the proposal, and to the key role that civil society organisations, as well as the social economy can play. We hope that the Council will take this into account and complement these gaps with appropriate provisions, before adopting the Recommendation.
For a more detailed analysis, please see EAPN’s full reaction to the proposal, sent to Employment and Social Affairs Ministers ahead of their December Council.
See also our first reaction to the Recommendation when it came out in September 2015, and our response to the public consultation sent out first.
Contact Senior Policy Officer Amana Ferro for more info.
