Abstract
This joint ETUI/ETUC hybrid workshop will explore key dimensions of poverty across all ages, with a specific focus on old age. The speakers will discuss how people, both in working and in retirement age, are affected by poverty and will look into ways to ensure them all the right to a minimum income guaranteeing a life of dignity as per the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR).
The contributions will take stock of a needs-based assessment, against the effectiveness of existing minimum income schemes, including minimum pensions. Moreover, the panellists will discuss effective policy strategies at the EU level for both working-age and retired individuals.
The debate will include both academics, trade unionists as well as representatives of the European institutions, and will feed the contribution of the European trade union movement to the upcoming EC proposal to the Council for a Recommendation.
In the aftermath of Covid-19, older people, particularly the 75+ group, suffer financial problems and difficult access to health services more than other age cohorts. The capacity to protect the elderly against poverty risks varies greatly among the EU Member States, but in the majority of EU countries, pension benefits are below the poverty line. In order to reduce severe poverty among the retired population, a minimum income guarantee is crucial - a mix of monetary transfers and provision of services might be necessary to address the many dimensions of poverty risks. A EU Recommendation on minimum income, as outlined in the EPSR Action Plan, may represent a step to protect an increasing number of people from poverty. However, the initiative must be developed hand in hand with further ones in the field of welfare, targeting health and long-term care provision, adequate pensions, essential services, which are crucially intertwined. The fight to poverty also calls for further tools to assess any steps towards upward convergence, such as more effective monitoring and new indicators, in order to improve access to and adequacy of minimum income guarantee in the EU.
Interpretation will be available in EN/FR/IT/ES/DE/RO. The workshop will be partially hybrid, with some of the speakers participating in the meeting room in Brussels. The executive summary of the conducted research is available in different languages on this webpage (see below the agenda).
Draft programme
15:00 Welcome and introduction
Nicola Countouris, ETUI Director of the Research department
Liina Carr, ETUC Confederal Secretary
15.10 Poverty risks across all ages and the effectiveness of Minimum Income Guarantees across Europe
David Natali and Andrea Terlizzi, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa (Italy) DOWNLOAD HERE THE SLIDES
15.30 Discussion
Chair: Marina Monaco, ETUC
Tim Goedemé, University of Antwerp DOWNLOAD HERE THE SLIDES
Rute Guerra, Vice-Chair Social Protection Committee DOWNLOAD HERE THE SLIDES
Romain Lasserre, Legal Counselor, CGT-FO
Q&A
16.10 The right to a Minimum Income across all ages in the EU social and economic policy debate
David Natali and Andrea Terlizzi, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa (Italy) DOWNLOAD HERE THE SLIDES
16.20 Discussion
Chair: Marco Cilento, ETUC
Matteo Jessoula and Marcello Natili, University of Milan
Jiri Svarc, Head of Unit "Social Policies, Child Guarantee, SPC", European Commission
Judit Czuglerne Ivany, Legal Vice President MOSZ (Hungary)
16.50 Conclusions (new research paths towards SociAll 2)
Nicola Countouris, ETUI Director of the Research department
Liina Carr, ETUC Confederal Secretary
Executive Summary to download: