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22nd European Social Services Conference

 

The 22nd European Social Services Conference took place at the beginning of the Italian EU Presidency, at an important time when the European social model has come under pressure due to difficult socio-economic circumstances and with public authorities facing increasing demands and decreasing budgets. These developments are likely to continue and raise questions regarding the future shape of the welfare state and public services in Europe.

 

 

The discussions and presentations at the conference placed strong emphasis on the urgency of a debate on the future of the European social model. They highlighted the importance for social investment, both nationally and at EU level, to tackle the ramifications of the challenging socio-economic context.

 

 

Raffaele Tangorra, the Director General of Inclusion and Social Policy at the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, painted a drastic picture of the effects of the crisis in his country: “In Italy, poverty and social exclusion have increased dramatically during the past few years due to the crisis. The indicator for severe material deprivation has more than doubled in just two years.”

 

 

The economic recovery has been very fragile and Europe is now in need of a “grand new bargain”. Loukas Tsoukalis, Professor of European Integration at the University of Athens, stressed that solutions require compensating the extremely low level of investment in the whole of Europe through citizen-oriented public investment: “We need to engage in inclusive economic programmes to incorporate those who have lost out within our societies due to increasing inequalities, with a subsequent rise in poverty and social exclusion.”

 

 

In the same spirit, the newly elected Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently put forward the need for social impact assessments for the fight against poverty in his speech to the European Parliament on 15 July.

 

 

The challenges are huge, but the possibilities and options are too – this was one of the key messages of László Andor, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, who emphasised that: “It is through investing in people that we will increase their chances to cope with life's risks, which makes for a more inclusive and more prosperous society. (…) Investing in social services is a smart and sustainable investment.” This was also reinforced by Michael Ralph, the Director General at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional Policy, who explained how the Commission’s Social Investment Package (SIP) and EU Structural Funds are encouraging social investment in people and communities.

 

 

The European Social Network (ESN) continues to champion the role of local authorities in the management of social investment to promote innovative solutions for Europe’s citizens. Initiatives such as the Social Investment Package, the Social Business initiative and the new EU Structural Funds programme for 2014-2020, notably the European Social Fund, constitute a step in the right direction, but need to be backed up by policies and investment at the national level.

 

 

More resources from the 22nd European Social Services Conference