Mathias Maucher, EAPN Policy Officer, contributed to a panel debate organised by DG EMPL and ICF to contribute to the implementation of the principles set out in the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and self-employed, as well as the European Pillar of Social Rights. The seminar investigated how to ensure and finance an adequate level of protection to maintain a decent standard of living, provide appropriate income replacement and prevent poverty. In August 2020 ICF issued its Outcome Report.
Prof. Paul Schoukens, KU Leuven, Thematic Expert, had prepared a rich “Thematic Discussion Paper” to structure the webinar. EAPN was asked to react to key points raised there and to share the experiences of its members and EAPN’s policy recommendations. In 2018 EAPN had contributed to the EC consultation on access to social protection for all workers.
EAPN’s input to the panel debate highlighted the need to fight in-work poverty, guarantee access to quality jobs and promote supported pathways into employment and inclusive labour markets, as part of an active inclusion approach putting in place an individualised and rights-based support.
- A key point for EAPN is the need to “always prevent for those covered by social protection from falling into poverty”. This means that social protection benefits should be poverty-proof.
- The rules governing contributions and entitlements should not prevent individuals from accruing or accessing benefits because of their type of employment relationship or labour market status.
- EAPN also underlined the importance to have clearly understandable information on individual entitlements and obligations free of charge.
You can read the “Outcome Reports” and the “Thematic Discussion Papers” for the first workshop focusing on how to extend the formal coverage by social protection schemes to all workers and the self-employed and for the second workshop offering the possibility exchange on experience with the effective extension of coverage by social protection to all workers and the self-employe