After a long period of consultations, last week the European Commission has published its communication establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights.

We fully support the ambition of the Commission to ensure that the social pillar will be part of the efforts to launch a new process of social convergence within the Economic and Monetary Union ad the EU more generally. The Inter-institutional Proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights should contribute to a firm endorsement of all rights enshrined in the pillar by all relevant European Institutions.

We welcome the recognition of the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring a life in dignity at all stages of life, and to effective access to enabling goods and services, as part of the European Pillar of Social Rights. However we are concerned with the narrow definition of incentives to reintegrate into the labour market, pointing only at the design of the benefit to preserve financial incentives to take up a job. The Recommendation on active inclusion rightly refers to the need for inclusive labour markets and access to quality services to provide minimum income beneficiaries a fair chance to take up a decent job.

EMIN will shortly produce a more developed position on the Social Pillar and its potential for promoting adequate Minimum Income Schemes.

See the Commisison Staff Working Document (Minimum Income Pages 55-57)