Policy Dialogue with Commissioner Nicolas Schmit: "Social protection, minimum income, and beyond"

Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, met with several young people from across Europe, to hear their views and discuss “Social protection, minimum income, and beyond”.

Social protection systems provide protection and support against the risks and needs associated with unemployment, sickness, parenthood and social exclusion.

Access to social protection, promoting social inclusion, and combating poverty are core values of our European way of life. While levels of poverty have been decreasing in the past decade, inequalities have not followed the same trend. The relative income situation of the most vulnerable has not improved.

The pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, indicating possible gaps in the adequacy and coverage of social protection. While in most Member States the rules governing access to social protection are not age-specific, certain gaps and obstacles to access are more significant for young people.

In the second half of 2022, the Commission proposed a Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income schemes in the EU, to offer guidance on how to improve minimum income schemes, while giving countries the flexibility to design and implement specific measures, in line with national practices.

In line with the goals of the European Year of Youth, it is of the utmost importance that the needs and ideas of young people take centre stage.  

Did you miss the live discussion? Don't worry, you can watch the recorded version by accessing the European Commission live stream page.

Take aways from the Dialogue

1. Minimum income. Minimum income schemes should not just allow people to “survive in poverty""; they should allow people to have a decent life, and especially to fully re-integrate themselves in society. They should not be seen as a permanent solution, but rather as a tool focusing on the most at-risk situations, to build autonomy and independence for the beneficiaries. They are important instruments to create a level playing field between young people from different socio-economic backgrounds.
2. Availability of job opportunities with attractive conditions.  Wages are often too low for young professionals and not enough to enable decent living conditions. In addition to salaries, other working conditions matter: access to social protection and safety nets, type of contracts (permanent/temporary), career prospects, and an inclusive work environment. Particularly for disadvantaged young people, work precariousness has significant negative effects on access to social protection, continuous education and job prospects.
3. Improvement of diversity & inclusion. The improvement of  inclusion of disadvantaged youth groups (economic problems, health problems, interruption of education) was mentioned across many of the policy dialogues. In addition, there should be equal opportunities for mobility and education between rural/urban, genres, and different member states. Last, not least, when it comes to people with disabilities, the changing nature of labour markets, in which skills and expertise are becoming more and more important, is a cause for cautious optimism. There is a need to support companies in this “change of mindset"", using all the opportunities that digital technologies can offer.