Authors Iain Begg | Gabriel Glöckler | Anke Hassel ... - The Europaeum
Authors Iain Begg | Gabriel Glöckler | Anke Hassel ... - The Europaeum Authors Iain Begg | Gabriel Glöckler | Anke Hassel ... - The Europaeum
effective common policies in areas of limited EU competence such as social protection or child poverty. However, the best social policy and the best road out of social exclusion remains a (good quality) job – and all the key policies to promote both jobs and the social role of the EU are already present and recognisable in the current Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs. What is required, above all, is not brand new policy objectives or a reshuffle of the old ones, but clarity and simplicity − because the past failures of the Lisbon Strategy occurred not in the formulation of the right priorities, but in focus, ownership and implementation. This pleads for clearer links between the post-2010 Lisbon strategy and the Social OMC − but above all for a straightforward, simple architecture focused on common EU thematic priorities. One possibility would be to establish just three broad EU priorities and guidelines encompassing employment and social policies: more jobs; better jobs; more social equity and opportunities. More jobs to ensure that Europe’s growth potential and financial sustainability are not dragged down by demography and a shrinking labour force. Promoting the efficient use of skills and nurturing human capital to create better jobs which can tackle the social impact of the transition to a low-carbon economy and the effects of globalisation and ageing on the labour market. More social equity and opportunities, to provide a stronger emphasis on inequalities, modernise social protection systems, and strengthen the enabling and preventive welfare systems that will sustain the European social market economy. Three policy areas look especially promising at EU level: flexicurity, skills, and innovation; none of them will have a serious EU impact without strong financial incentives. Modernising labour markets: flexicurity As the Union’s agenda increasingly focuses on tackling globalisation and the impact of the crisis, the challenge is to find a coherent policy which can simultaneously address the need for change and the need to preserve Europe’s welfare. Such a policy must find a balance between, on the one hand, flexibility of labour markets, work organisation and labour relations and on the other hand, security (in employment as well as social) and nondiscrimination. This is concisely what flexicurity is about. Originally conceived as a means to stimulate productivity and employment, it should become the overarching policy framework for the modernisation and preservation of 110 After the crisis: A new socio-economic settlement for the EU
the European Social Model in the next decade. Flexicurity is indeed the right policy instrument to address both core and emerging challenges at EU level. It can widen the discussion from security on-the-job to security in employment through policies favouring transition and human capital investment; provide inter-generational solidarity through a lifecycle approach to youth, gender and ageing; and ensure compatibility between short-term responses to the downturn (e.g. reduce working time to keep people in employment) and long-term structural reforms (increase labour supply in response to demographic changes). True, flexicurity is now more of a challenge in a time of public spending constraint, and some see it as facilitating a race to the bottom on EU wages and working conditions. But in reality it represents consensus among member states on how to modernise and adapt labour markets to the structural changes brought by the crisis and globalisation. The policy framework is there: the EU common principles of flexicurity proposed by the Commission have been agreed by all member states, supported by the EU social partners, and endorsed by successive European Councils. This common ground is no small achievement and should be built upon. Addressing inequalities through skills upgrading The policy framework of flexicurity should be buttressed by a massive emphasis on upgrading skills, on anticipation and adaptation to change, and on combining active labour market policies with life-long learning. Skills upgrading is critically important for Europe’s growth and productivity, for its jobs and its capacity to adapt to change, and indeed for equity and social cohesion: it is in fact the only economically sound and socially sustainable exit strategy from the crisis, and the best way to facilitate people’s transition from unemployment and inactivity into a sustainable job. Yet upgrading skills is not enough: ensuring a better long-term match between the supply of skills and labour market demand is just as important. With the right skills, the transition to a low-carbon economy and the increasing importance of healthcare in our ageing societies can be achieved and facilitated, resulting in “green” and “white” jobs to meet the needs of Europe’s changing industrial and demographic structures. The process for skills upgrading must be underpinned by a substantial improvement in the member states’ and the Union’s capacity to forecast, anticipate and match future skills and labour market needs. The EU can Chapter 7 – Xavier Prats-Monné 111
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effective common policies in areas of limited EU competence such as<br />
social protection or child poverty. However, the best social policy and the<br />
best road out of social exclusion remains a (good quality) job – and all the<br />
key policies to promote both jobs and the social role of the EU are already<br />
present and recognisable in the current Lisbon Strategy for Growth and<br />
Jobs. What is required, above all, is not brand new policy objectives or a<br />
reshuffle of the old ones, but clarity and simplicity − because the past<br />
failures of the Lisbon Strategy occurred not in the formulation of the right<br />
priorities, but in focus, ownership and implementation.<br />
This pleads for clearer links between the post-2010 Lisbon strategy and<br />
the Social OMC − but above all for a straightforward, simple architecture<br />
focused on common EU thematic priorities. One possibility would be to<br />
establish just three broad EU priorities and guidelines encompassing<br />
employment and social policies: more jobs; better jobs; more social equity<br />
and opportunities. More jobs to ensure that Europe’s growth potential<br />
and financial sustainability are not dragged down by demography and a<br />
shrinking labour force. Promoting the efficient use of skills and nurturing<br />
human capital to create better jobs which can tackle the social impact of<br />
the transition to a low-carbon economy and the effects of globalisation<br />
and ageing on the labour market. More social equity and opportunities, to<br />
provide a stronger emphasis on inequalities, modernise social protection<br />
systems, and strengthen the enabling and preventive welfare systems that<br />
will sustain the European social market economy.<br />
Three policy areas look especially promising at EU level: flexicurity, skills,<br />
and innovation; none of them will have a serious EU impact without<br />
strong financial incentives.<br />
Modernising labour markets: flexicurity<br />
As the Union’s agenda increasingly focuses on tackling globalisation and<br />
the impact of the crisis, the challenge is to find a coherent policy which can<br />
simultaneously address the need for change and the need to preserve<br />
Europe’s welfare. Such a policy must find a balance between, on the one<br />
hand, flexibility of labour markets, work organisation and labour relations<br />
and on the other hand, security (in employment as well as social) and nondiscrimination.<br />
This is concisely what flexicurity is about. Originally conceived as a means<br />
to stimulate productivity and employment, it should become the<br />
overarching policy framework for the modernisation and preservation of<br />
110<br />
After the crisis: A new socio-economic settlement for the EU
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