Hands extended to the poor and to families

"Social Investment today helps to prevent Member States having to pay much higher financial and social bills tomorrow" declared László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Social Inclusion, in the presentation of a package of measures in support of EU citizens and families, "given the serious problems caused by the recession and by high unemployment levels". The "human capital". The strategy outlined by the Executive includes a set of working papers, analysis of data and specific recommendations. "Social investment is key if we want to emerge from the crisis stronger, more cohesive and more competitive", underlined the Hungarian politician. "Within existing budget constraints, Member States need to shift their focus to investment in human capital and social cohesion". The Commission suggests specific action in areas such as welfare, social security, employment, childcare services carried out at national level. The EU can provide funding (notably via the European Social Fund), a more favourable legislative framework and good practices. It is a question of "modernizing welfare states", Andor underlines. "This means better performing active inclusion strategies and a more efficient and more effective use of social budgets". Over the coming months the Commission will "closely monitor the performance of individual Member States’ social protection systems" in the framework of the European Semester (coordination of economic policies) and formulate, where necessary, Country Specific Recommendations. Child poverty. The Social Investment Package, Andor explained, includes a Commission Recommendation against child poverty, "calling for an integrated approach to child-friendly social investment". Investing in children and young people "is especially effective in breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and social exclusion and improving people’s opportunities later in life". Andor provided the technical details of the measures that Member States are called to implement. He underlined "the grave consequences of the crisis with 120 million people are at risk of poverty or social exclusion" that call for rapid, "long-term strategies". "Families with one or more members left without a job, early school leaving, growing homelessness, must lead to the adoption of effective measures, with despite restrictions" in national budgets give priority "to citizens and to their needs". "The package of measures – Andor said – does not address all social policies, yet it is meant to trigger a serious reflection on policy reform in Member States". The Commissioner criticized the "cuts in social spending" carried out at national level. Asked to comment on the ongoing situation in Greece, caused by the crisis and by the necessary austerity measures undertaken at national level, he said: "It is necessary to find an internal balance between austerity and social spending, as little as possible on the citizens, "worn-out by recession, cuts and unemployment". Each Member State must find the way to make social investments possible". The three pillars. The social investment package – the culmination of a set of measures undertaken at EU level – thus constitutes an "an integrated policy framework which takes account of the social, economic and budgetary divergences between Member States. It consists of three pillars. First, it aims to ensure that "social protection systems respond to people’s needs at critical moments throughout their lives" ("more needs to be done to reduce the risk of social breakdown and so avoid higher social spending in the future", the document underlines. Second, the document – that will be submitted for approval to EU Member States and to the European Prliament – focuses on simplified and better targeted social policies, ("some countries have better social outcomes than others despite having similar or lower budgets, demonstrating that there is room for more efficient social policy".) Third: it intends to upgrade active inclusion strategies in the Member States, namely, "affordable quality childcare and education, prevention of early school leaving, training and job-search assistance, housing support and accessible health care are all policy areas with a strong social investment".